Gun violence, killings in Chattogram leave police struggling to contain criminal gangs

A group of armed men storming a busy marketplace in broad daylight to gun down a man, or launching an armed attack on a business after failing to receive extortion money within a set deadline—such scenes may seem straight out of an action film. Yet incidents like these have become increasingly common in Chattogram.

Police claim that those involved in the recent killings and gun violence are all followers of Sajjad Ali Khan, better known as Boro Sajjad, a fugitive criminal believed to be operating from abroad.

Despite the group’s increasingly brazen activities over a prolonged period, law enforcement has been unable to rein them in. As a result, residents of several areas—including Chandgaon, Bakalia and Bayezid in the city, as well as Hathazari, Raozan and Rangunia upazilas—are living in fear.

According to police, Sajjad has been directing murders and extortion operations in Chattogram while staying overseas. He has allegedly built an armed network of more than 50 active members equipped with sophisticated weapons.

Police officials say the gang’s use of technology and its hideouts in hilly areas have made it difficult to track them down. They claim the gang members carry out attacks in broad daylight before retreating to secure bases in the hills.

Police say Sajjad’s associates became more active after 5 August 2024. On 29 August 2024, two young men—Md Anis and Masud Qaiser—were shot dead in public in the Anannya Residential Area of Bayezid Bostami and nearby Quaish, on the border with Hathazari. Separate cases were filed with Bayezid and Hathazari police stations.

According to investigators, the killings stemmed from disputes over territorial control, business interests and political differences. Sajjad and several of his associates have been named as accused in both cases. Police say the double murder was followed by a series of killings, shootings, extortion attempts and vandalism allegedly involving members of Sajjad’s group.

Killings in public

On 13 June, Masudul Haque Chowdhury, senior convener of the Rangunia upazila unit of Jubo Dal, was shot dead in broad daylight on the Chattogram-Kaptai road in the Pahartali Chowmuhani area of Raozan.

His elder brother, Peyarul Haque Chowdhury, later filed a murder case with Raozan Police Station, naming 11 people, including Mohammad Raihan, Mohammad Elias, Mohammad Mobarak, Didarul Alam and Mohammad Yusuf—all known as associates of Boro Sajjad.

The killing was captured on nearby CCTV cameras. The footage shows Masudul running while being chased by armed men. He then collided with a motorcycle parked in front of a shop at Pahartali Chowmuhani Bazar and fell to the ground. The gunmen immediately opened fire. After initially leaving the scene, they returned moments later and shot him again before fleeing in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Although the attack took place in a busy marketplace during the day, no one intervened out of fear.

Masudul's elder brother, Peyarul Haque Chowdhury, filed the murder case. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "A month has passed, yet not a single one of the armed men who carried out the attack in broad daylight has been arrested. Will my brother's murder ever be brought to justice? Those who sent the gunmen must also be identified."

On 8 May, around 10:00 pm, Hasan Raju was shot dead in public in the Banshbariya Bihari Colony area of Roufabad under Bayezid Bostami Police Station.

The killing took place inside a densely populated residential colony about half a kilometre west of the Muradpur–Oxygen Road. CCTV footage shows five or six masked men, all carrying firearms and dressed in trousers and T-shirts, chasing Hasan Raju through the alley while shouting, “Catch him!” They repeatedly opened fire as he tried to escape. After he collapsed, the attackers pinned him down with their feet and shot him in the head before walking away. Residents witnessed the killing but were too frightened to intervene.

Police believe the murder may have been carried out in retaliation for a previous killing in Raozan. Investigators suspect Mohammad Raihan, one of Sajjad’s key associates and himself a fugitive, was involved. Sources say Raihan’s name has surfaced in at least 14 murder cases in Chattogram city and Raozan.

Earlier, on 29 March last year, gunmen opened fire on a private car carrying Sarwar Hossain on Bakalia Access Road in Chattogram city. Two people travelling with him were killed, while Sarwar survived the attack. However, on 3 November, he was shot dead after an assailant pressed a pistol against his neck during an election campaign by a BNP candidate in the Chalitatali area of Panchlaish.

Before that, on 23 May, Akbar Ali, also known as Dhakaiya Akbar, was shot dead in a crowded area of Patenga Sea Beach.

Sarwar’s brother, Aziz Uddin, told Prothom Alo that police had yet to arrest the left-handed shooter responsible for Sarwar’s killing. Instead, he alleged, Boro Sajjad continued to issue threats against their family.

Gunfire at businessman's home despite police protection

At around 6:30 a.m. on 28 Februarythis year, armed criminals opened fire at the home of Smart Group Chairman Mostafizur Rahman in the Chandanpura area of the city.

At the time, five police officers were stationed at the house on security duty. The gunfire shattered the window glass of the residence. The same house had also come under gunfire on 2 January. Police said the attack was carried out by followers of Boro Sajjad after they failed to extort tens of millions of taka in ransom.

Gunfire follows refusal to pay extortion

Apart from killings, followers of Boro Sajjad have also been extorting money from construction projects and business establishments. According to police, builders in Bayezid Bostami, Panchlaish, Chandgaon, Hathazari, Fatikchhari and Raozan have been forced to pay extortion money to the gang.

Previously, the gang's operations inside Bangladesh were led by Sajjad Hossain, alias "Chhoto Sajjad". He had publicly threatened to assault the officer-in-charge of Bayezid Bostami Police Station. He was arrested from a shopping mall in Dhaka on 15 March last year. However, despite being interrogated on remand for 42 days in several cases, police failed to recover a single weapon from him, even though multiple videos show him carrying firearms.

Chhoto Sajjad faces 17 cases, including murder, illegal arms possession and extortion. Police say the gang has more than 50 active members. Since his imprisonment, operations inside the country have reportedly been led by Mobarak Hossain Iman, Mohammad Raihan and Borhan Uddin.

Most recently, at around 12:30 pm on Monday, armed attackers vandalised the office of Digital Dot Net (DDN) on Chandanpura–Bakalia Access Road under Chawkbazar Police Station after allegedly failing to collect Tk 20 million in extortion. Police claim followers of Boro Sajjad were behind the attack and efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved.

DDN owner Adil Bin Mamun told Prothom Alo that two days earlier, he had received a phone call from an overseas number. The caller identified himself as David Iman (Mobarak Hossain Iman).

During the call, Iman said, "If you want to do business, you will have to pay Tk 20 million upfront. You will also pay Tk 1 million every month. From now on, we will run the business." Adil Bin Mamun alleged that the attack on his office was carried out because he refused to pay the extortion money.

CCTV footage shows a group of 15 to 20 armed men suddenly entering the DDN office. Armed with locally made weapons, they vandalised office computers, employees' mobile phones and furniture. One attacker was seen smashing computers and other equipment with an axe. The attackers also threatened the office staff. The incident has left internet business owners and employees in the area living in fear.

On 27 September last year, 10 to 15 armed men opened fire at an under-construction building in Uttara Housing on Quwaish Road under Bayezid Bostami Police Station after allegedly failing to extort Tk 1.5 million.

The attackers identified themselves to construction workers as members of Sajjad's group. They had previously attacked the same construction site twice. Following the shooting, Zahirul Islam, representing the landowners, filed a case with Bayezid Bostami Police Station. He told Prothom Alo, "We live in constant fear."

Followers of Sajjad also allegedly opened fire at the house of contractor Md Hasan after he refused to pay extortion money. The incident took place at his residence in Hajir Pul area of Chandgaon on 27 October, 2024. Hasan later filed a case with Chandgaon Police Station.

On 20 August last year, gunmen opened fire at the house of businessman Jahangir in Hathazari after he allegedly refused to pay Tk 5 million in extortion. Police arrested three suspects in the case, all identified as associates of Boro Sajjad.

Another attack took place on 14 December last year, when armed men stormed an under-construction building owned by Nur Mohammad in Hamzarbagh area under Panchlaish Police Station after allegedly failing to collect Tk 5 million in extortion. The attackers brandished firearms, opened fire and assaulted construction workers. Police later arrested Md Didar, an alleged associate of Sajjad, in connection with the case.

Asked about the allegations over the phone, fugitive gangster Sajjad Ali told Prothom Alo, "I am not involved in extortion or murder. On the contrary, terrorists burned down my house, and I have still not received justice."

Asked about the situation, Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasan Md Shawkat Ali told Prothom Alo on Monday night, "There is no reason to panic. Police have already arrested several members of Sajjad's gang along with weapons. Efforts are continuing to arrest the remaining suspects."

Former chairman of the Department of Criminology and Police Science at the University of Chittagong, Md Sakhawat Hossain, told Prothom Alo that, alongside local police stations, the police's specialised branches should also monitor terrorist groups closely to maintain law and order. He said the police informant network needs to be strengthened and that anyone providing political patronage to such criminal groups should also be brought under the law.