Two gunmen arrested over public shooting of Jubo Dal leader
Police have arrested two men in connection with the fatal shooting of Jubo Dal leader Masudul Haque Chowdhury in Raozan, Chattogram. The suspects, Md Didar Alam and Absar Mia, allegedly took part directly in the killing. Police arrested them on Sunday, from Sitakunda in the district.
Police identified both Didar and Absar as associates of alleged criminal Mohammad Raihan. Earlier, police had also arrested another accused in the case, alleged criminal Dhama Ilias.
Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam announced the arrests at a press conference held at his office on Monday morning.
He said, "We arrested the armed suspects, Didar and Absar, from Sitakunda. They directly participated in the murder of Masud in Raozan." He added that police recovered a foreign-made pistol from their possession.
According to the Superintendent of Police, Didar faces 13 criminal cases, while Absar faces eight. When asked about the motive behind the killing and who had ordered it, he said, "The matter remains under investigation. We cannot disclose further details at this stage in the interest of the investigation."
At around 1:30 pm on 13 June, assailants shot Masudul Haque Chowdhury dead in broad daylight at Chowmuhani bazar in Pahartali union of Raozan. He served as senior joint convener of Rangunia upazila Jubo Dal.
His elder brother, Peyarul Haque Chowdhury, is the former chairman of Betagi union parishad in Rangunia. Family members said Masudul had been preparing to contest the next Union Parishad chairman election.
Police believe that a dispute over control of sand extraction leases on the Karnaphuli River led to the killing.
Two days after the incident, on 15 June, the victim's elder brother, Peyarul Haque Chowdhury, filed a case with Raozan police station.
The case names 11 accused, including alleged criminal Mohammad Raihan, an associate of fugitive alleged criminal Sajjad Ali Khan, along with Mohammad Ilias, Mohammad Mobarak, Didarul Alam and Mohammad Yusuf. The complaint also names eight unidentified suspects.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Ilias and Didarul first opened fire on Masudul Haque. Yusuf, Jahed and Absar then ran towards him and fired several more shots.
The shooting took place only a few hundred yards from the office of the assistant superintendent of police for the Raozan–Rangunia Circle. Of the five alleged attackers, one wore a black mask, while CCTV footage clearly captured the faces of the others.
Police said they identified the suspects by reviewing CCTV footage. Three of them were carrying pistols, while the remaining two were armed with shotguns.
At the same press conference, Superintendent of Police Masud Alam also announced the arrest of three more individuals in connection with separate murder and attempted murder cases.
He said, "We arrested Didar Alam, the principal planner behind the fatal shooting of Nurul Azim in Mekhal area of Hathazari on 10 July, from Keraniganj in Dhaka." Police recovered a large machete and a cleaver from his possession.
He also said that police arrested two other suspects, Md Borhan and Rony, in connection with the attempted murder of a man named Nazim, who was attacked with sharp weapons in the Jorargonj police station area of Mirsharai on 30 July. Police recovered one foreign-made pistol and nine rounds of ammunition from their possession.