Shooting with both hands, sleeping with an SMG: How a painter's assistant turned into a 'top criminal'

Shooting and killing people on streets in broad daylight, opening fire on a businessman’s house over unpaid extortion demands and boldly marching away firing two pistols—these are some of the activities of Chattogram’s ‘top terror’ Md Mobarak, also known as Gola kata Mobarak, captured on CCTV cameras at different times. Despite all this, he remained elusive until police arrested him last Wednesday.

According to police, after carrying out criminal activities in different parts of Chattogram city and district, Mobarak would go into hiding in the remote hills of Fatikchhari and Raozan. He would return after some time and become involved in killings, extortion and shootings. He was arrested in Fatikchhari.

Three of Mobarak’s associates were also arrested. Police recovered three pistols, 23 rounds of pistol ammunition and four shotgun cartridges from them. During the arrest operation, Mobarak fired six rounds at police, who retaliated. Police said the pistol he used to fire at them had been looted from Kotwali police station in Chattogram after 5 August 2024. To evade arrest, he used to sleep with ultra-modern weapons like an SMG (submachine gun).

Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam told Prothom Alo that Mobarak is a follower of fugitive criminal Sajjad Ali, also known as Boro Sajjad. Mobarak followed Sajjad’s instructions closely and was valued within Sajjad’s gang for his courage and proficiency with firearms. Mobarak can fire guns with both hands, the police official said.

Mobarak is the son of Md Lokman of Hachi Chowdhury Bari in Kanchannagar union of Fatikchhari. He has hardly any formal education. Although he can somehow write his name, he cannot read. He started working as a painter’s assistant. In 2014, he was accused of killing a man named Md Babu by slitting his throat in Fatikchhari. He has since been known as ‘Gola kata Mobarak’.

According to police, Mobarak entered the criminal underworld through Nasir Uddin, known as a Shibir cadre. After Nasir went to jail, his contact developed with Abu Tayeb, former general secretary of the North District Chhatra League and a listed criminal by the police. Multiple photos of Mobarak with Tayeb are also available on social media.

After 5 August 2024, Mobarak joined the gang of criminal Hossain Emon, also known as David Emon, who is currently in prison. Police said Mobarak worked as Emon’s second-in-command. Emon is also one of the key associates of fugitive criminal Sajjad Ali.

Police also said Mobarak had links with former Kanchannagar union parishad chairman Abul Kashem and stayed under his protection. Abul Kashem is an accused in the murder case of BNP leader and businessman Jamal Uddin Chowdhury. Two years after Jamal Uddin was abducted, his skeleton was recovered from a hill in Kanchannagar. Attempts to contact Abul Kashem by phone for his comments on the matter were unsuccessful.

Police said Mobarak told them during initial interrogation after his arrest that he had learned how to use firearms from Emon. Firing weapons with both hands is his hobby, he reportedly said. Police said CCTV footage of the killing of Jubo Dal leader Masudul Haque Chowdhury in Raozan showed Mobarak firing weapons with both hands.

Masudul Haque, senior joint convener of Rangunia upazila Jubo Dal, was shot dead in broad daylight at Chaumuhani Bazar in Pahartali union of Raozan around 1:30pm on 13 June.

CCTV footage shows Masudul running while armed men chased him. At one point, he fell to the ground after hitting a motorcycle parked in front of a shop. The armed men, including Mobarak, then opened fire at him.

After firing at him once and leaving the scene, Mobarak returned about 40 to 50 seconds later. Instead of getting into a vehicle, he fired at Masudul again before leaving in a CNG-run autorickshaw. Although the killing took place in broad daylight at a busy market, no one came forward out of fear.

SP Masud Alam said Mobarak fired the first shot at Masudul. He then shot him in the head to ensure his death before walking openly to a vehicle and leaving the scene. After his arrest, Mobarak gave a confessional statement before a court. Earlier, another arrested accused, Didar, had also told the court in his statement that Mobarak had fired at Masudul.

Police have also linked Mobarak to several other killings in the city and district, apart from the murder of Masudul Haque.

On 5 November last year, Sarwar Hossain, also known as Babla, was shot dead during a campaign for the BNP-nominated candidate for the Chattogram-8 constituency in Chattogram’s Bayezid Bostami area. Police said their preliminary investigation found Mobarak’s involvement in the incident.

On 29 March last year, two people were shot dead on the Bakalia Access Road. On 23 May, a man named Dhakaiya Akbar was shot dead while sitting with friends at Patenga sea beach. On 22 April, Jubo Dal activist Ibrahim was shot dead in broad daylight in Gazipara, Raozan. Earlier, on 29 August 2024, Md Masud and Md Anis were killed in Oxygen-West Kuwaish. A month later, sand and brick trader Tahsin was shot dead while sitting at a tea stall in Chandgaon.

Alongside these killings, police said Mobarak was involved in at least seven murders, including the killings of Jamal and Saddam in Fatikchhari.

Mobarak has also been accused of opening fire on the homes of businessmen and others when they failed to pay extortion money.

Police found evidence of Mobarak’s involvement in an attack on the home of Mujibur Rahman, an Awami League leader whose party’s activities are currently banned, former parliament member and owner of Smart Group, in Chandgaon in the city. The shooting took place despite police security at the house. Police said the attack was carried out after the victim refused to pay Tk 10 million in extortion.

CCTV footage shows an armed man firing two pistols, one in each hand. Another man was carrying an SMG, one had a Chinese rifle and another had a shotgun. Police said Mobarak was one of the armed men.

On 20 August last year, the home of an owner of a brick kiln and real estate company in Mekhal, Hathazari, also came under gunfire. The attack was allegedly carried out after he refused to pay Tk 5 million in extortion. CCTV footage shows Mobarak and his associates entering the yard and opening fire.

Mobarak was also seen on CCTV during a shooting at the home of businessman Absar Uddin Chowdhury in Kanchannagar, Fatikchhari, on 14 May.

Absar Uddin told Prothom Alo that he had been receiving demands for Tk 1 million in extortion for a month. When he refused to pay, seven armed men, including Mobarak, came to his house. They left firing blank shots after local residents began shouting. They later fired at a shop beside the house.

Police found a photograph of Mobarak sleeping with an SMG after his arrest. During interrogation, he reportedly said he liked sleeping with the weapon beside him.

Police said Mobarak always carried a foreign-made pistol to avoid arrest and kept an SMG within reach.

Chattogram Additional Superintendent of Police Kazi Md Tarek Aziz told Prothom Alo that Mobarak said during interrogation that the SMG seen in the photograph is currently with fugitive criminal Raihan. An operation is underway to recover the weapon, he said.

After 5 August 2024, 944 firearms and 86,478 rounds of ammunition were looted during attacks and looting at various police facilities in Chattogram. Police said 796 firearms and 56,856 rounds of ammunition have been recovered over the past two years, while 148 firearms remain unaccounted for.

Police fear that some of the weapons are still in the hands of criminals. The arrest operation against Mobarak last Wednesday provided a stark example of that concern.

Mobarak was hiding in the false ceiling of a bathroom at a house in Kanchannagar. When police asked him to come out, he fired six rounds from inside.

Additional SP Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, who led the operation, said police returned fire before arresting Mobarak. The Brazilian-made pistol recovered from him had been looted from Kotwali police station in the city.

The remote hills of Fatikchhari and Raozan have emerged as a key factor in explaining how Mobarak repeatedly evaded arrest despite allegedly shooting people and carrying out killings in different parts of the city and district.

Police officials said the remote hilly areas of Fatikchhari and Raozan served as safe havens for Mobarak. He would hide there for some time and return to populated areas once the situation had calmed down.

Police claim Mobarak received assistance from certain people in accessing and staying in the hills through his first wife, Dolly Chakma, and second wife, Runu Akter. According to police, Mobarak established contact with a hill-based separatist organisation through Dolly. He allegedly used the connection for buying, selling and stockpiling weapons.

Asked about the matter, SP Masud Alam said police had found information indicating Mobarak’s links with a separatist organisation and that the matter was being investigated.

Peyarul Haque Chowdhury, elder brother of Jubo Dal leader Masudul Haque Chowdhury, who was shot dead in Raozan, told Prothom Alo, ‘These criminals kill people in broad daylight in markets and walk away with their weapons raised. If they get bail, people will live in fear.’