Law enforcement agencies have received information that a former senior officer of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was involved in the robbery at a businessman's residence in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.
The robbers claimed themselves as members of a joint force during the robbery. According to sources, the officer, a former lieutenant colonel, was the head of a wing at the RAB headquarters. The authorities sent him into forced retirement from the army in 2019.
Besides, some non-commissioned officers, who are employed at RAB-4, appeared to be connected with the robbery. Multiple sources said both RAB and the army are investigating the incident.
The commanding officer of RAB-4, Wing Commander Md Rokonuzzaman, could not be reached despite repeated phone calls. He also refrained from answering written queries on WhatsApp.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lt Col Md Munim Ferdous, director (legal and media wing) of the RAB, told Prothom Alo that the individuals arrested in connection with the robbery named certain RAB members during interrogation. Investigations are underway as per information gleaned from them.
When contacted to learn about progress in investigation on Wednesday, he suggested contacting the police’s detective branch (DB), instead of him.
The robbery took place around 3:15 am on 11 October, Friday, at the residence and office of businessman Abu Bakar in the Mohammadpur Beribandh area. The robbers, dressed in army and RAB uniforms, identified themselves as members of the joint force. According to sources, they looted Tk 7.5 million and 70 bhari of gold.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) DB is investigating the case filed with the Mohammadpur police station. The RAB handed over a suspect named Kamal Hossain, a former army member, to the DB on Tuesday.
The police produced him before the court on Wednesday, with a 10-day remand plea, and the court granted a 5-day remand.
Earlier, six other arrestees – three were arrested by the DB, while the others by the RAB – were produced before the court on Monday. They all were placed on remand for seven days each.
On Sunday, the RAB announced the arrest of eight individuals in total over the robbery case.
The following day, three of them were handed over to the DB, but the whereabouts of the remaining five are still unclear.
The RAB did not confirm whether Kamal Hossain, who was handed over to the DB on Tuesday, is one of the remaining five arrestees. The identities of the five individuals have yet not been disclosed.
Mohammad Rakib Khan, additional deputy commissioner of the DB's cyber and special crime wing, told Prothom Alo on Wednesday night that RAB had handed over a total of four arrestees to the DB, including one on Tuesday night.