Criminal calls businessman by phone
'I won't shoot you dead — I’ll kill you by stabbing and scraping with a blade'
His name keeps coming up in one killing after another in Chattogram, where people have been shot dead in broad daylight.
The families of the victims have also named him as an accused in the murder cases.
Although the police are desperately searching for him, his crimes have not stopped. Most recently, last night, Friday, ‘criminal’ Mohammad Raihan was accused of threatening a businessman in Chattogram with murder over the phone.
Raihan told the businessman, “I won’t shoot you dead — I’ll kill you by stabbing and scraping you with a blade.”
The threatened businessman is Md Ekram, who is a stone trader.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday morning, he said that around 8pm last night, the criminal Raihan called him. Later, in a WhatsApp text message, Raihan threatened to kill him by repeatedly stabbing him with a blade.
When asked why he was being threatened, businessman Ekram said that on 15 March, after spotting Chattogram’s top gangster Sajjad Hossain—known as 'Chhoto Sajjad'—wandering inside a shopping mall in Dhaka, he detained him and handed him over to the police. Afterward, Sajjad’s wife Tamanna and the fugitive Sajjad Ali—known as “Boro Sajjad”—threatened him. Ekram had filed a case over those threats with the Panchlaish Police Station. Now he is being threatened to withdraw that case.
The name of the criminal Raihan has surfaced in several murder cases in both the city and the district. Multiple police teams are working to arrest him.Aminur Rashid, assistant commissioner (media) of the metropolitan police
Ekram said he is preparing to file another case or a general diary (GD) with the police regarding this new threat.
Ekram’s wife, Ruma Akter, told Prothom Alo at noon, “Right after informing the police commissioner about the threat last night, police teams along with a SWAT unit were stationed in front of our home. My husband is now too scared to go outside. We’ve been told that if he must go out, police will accompany him.”
Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s commissioner had earlier announced a reward of Tk 500,000 for information leading to the capture of the reckless Chhoto Sajjad.
After Chhoto Sajjad was arrested on 15 March and sent to jail, Raihan has been running the operations of his gang.
Police say that Raihan first became acquainted with the notorious Chattogram gangster 'Chhoto Sajjad' while both were in jail in connection with an attempted murder case. After 5 August last year, the two were released on bail. After that, Raihan became increasingly reckless under Sajjad’s influence. When Sajjad was recently sent back to jail, Raihan began overseeing his arsenal of weapons.
When contacted, Mohammad Solaiman, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Panchlaish Police Station, told Prothom Alo at noon, “We are taking action. The businessman had previously filed a case over similar threats.”
Aminur Rashid, assistant commissioner (media) of the metropolitan police, said that the name of the criminal Raihan has surfaced in several murder cases in both the city and the district. Multiple police teams are working to arrest him.
Raihan’s name in one murder after another
On 5 November, ‘criminal’ Sarowar Hossain—known as Babla, 43,—was shot dead while participating in an election campaign event with the BNP-nominated candidate in Chattogram. Raihan is accused of threatening Sarowar with death over the phone three days earlier. Sarowar’s father said that Raihan called his son and told him, “Your time is up—enjoy whatever you have left to enjoy.”
Earlier, on 25 October, Almgir Alam, a Jubo Dal activist, was shot dead at Charabottola in Ward 9 of Raozan Municipality while returning home on his motorcycle. Raihan has been named as an accused in that murder case. Police say that Raihan acted as a hired gun in this political killing. A video of Almgir Alam’s phone conversation, recorded while he was still alive, circulated on social media. In that video, Almgir also expressed fear, mentioning Raihan by name.
Police say that Raihan first became acquainted with the notorious Chattogram gangster 'Chhoto Sajjad' while both were in jail in connection with an attempted murder case. After 5 August last year, the two were released on bail. After that, Raihan became increasingly reckless under Sajjad’s influence. When Sajjad was recently sent back to jail, Raihan began overseeing his arsenal of weapons.
On 25 July, Raihan also threatened a pharmacist in the Kalurghat area of Chattogram city over the phone. He told the shopkeeper, “I am Raihan, the No. 2 accused in the Dhakaiya Akbar murder case — I’ll blow your skull apart. …Did you see how Akbar was lying on Sea Beach? You’ll be lying the same way.”
On 1 August, Raihan was accused of shooting a businessman in the Mohora area under Chandgaon Police Station after failing to extort money from him. The victim, Md. Yunus, runs a business renting excavation machines used for sand extraction from rivers. Police say that since 5 August last year, 15 cases have been filed against Raihan in Chattogram city and district, including a double murder and several other charges. Seven of these cases are murder cases.