AJR Courier attacked 15 times in 23 days: who is really behind it?

AJR Courier Service has been targeted ever since receiving public threats and facing attacks accompanied by the statement, “We are Captain Imon's men; you will pay us the rent for this place, we will collect it.”

The business entity has come under successive attacks. Over the past 23 days, its warehouses, branch offices, and cargo vehicles have been attacked at least 15 times across various locations in Narayanganj and the capital. At least six employees have been injured, with one suffering burns to nearly 50 per cent of his body. The company has filed three General Diaries (GDs) and five lawsuits over these incidents.

An analysis of the case statement and talks with AJR officials, the trouble began on 18 October. At around 10:30 pm that night, two unidentified men on a motorcycle arrived outside their Hazaribagh office, rented from the Bay Group. One of them threatened the staff, stating that the office would be taken over.

The first physical attack took place on 20 October. In the evening, 70 to 80 armed people, arriving on 35 to 40 motorcycles, attacked their main warehouse near Sikder Medical College in Hazaribagh. Identifying themselves as henchmen of top criminal Imon, they barged inside, vandalised the property, and looted goods.

They made off with items worth approximately Tk 3.1 million, including CCTV cameras, NVRs, and laptops containing critical data. The company's manager, Md Afsar Uddin, filed a case in this connection with Hazaribagh police station on 21 October.

Hazaribagh police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mosharraf Hossain told Prothom Alo on Sunday that 11 of the accused have been arrested in connection with this case. The names of at least seven more suspects have been obtained, and police are working to apprehend them.

However, Jayanta Chowdhury, assistant general manager (AGM) of the company's Human Resources and Audit Department, maintained that the masterminds behind the attacks remain at large.

He told Prothom Alo, “They are using Captain Imon's name, but we do not know who is actually behind this. Because they haven't been arrested, the attacks on us are not stopping.”

Addressing this, OC Mosharraf stated that interrogating the 11 arrestees yielded no evidence of anyone named Captain Imon directly operating behind the scene. However, police derived the names of three individuals acting as direct handlers.

They are using encrypted communications technologies, meaning that while their names are known, their exact locations have not yet been traced. They went into hiding immediately after the 20 October incident, but police will track them down regardless of where they are, he added.

Top police-listed criminal Sanjidul Islam Imon is locally known as 'Captain Imon'. According to police intelligence, he is currently hiding abroad.

Relevant sources report that links to top criminal Imon have indeed been traced behind these continuous attacks. Operating from abroad, he controls the underworld in that area.

To target rivals and businesses, he deploys local teen gangs or smaller local groups, engaging different cliques for different assignments and paying them upon completion of specific tasks. Alongside his own network, criminal Imon indirectly commands several local gang units in this manner.

On 23 October, at around 11:00 pm—the day after a police case was filed over the initial attack—an unidentified caller phoned the plaintiff, Afsar Uddin. The caller threatened to kill him within 24 hours if he failed to reach a settlement, boasting that he knew his residential address.

At dawn the following day, 24 October, two covered vans parked in front of the Hazaribagh warehouse were vandalised. The company alleged that early on 25 October, petrol was poured near the warehouse’s internet line and behind the toilet facilities to set the premises ablaze. Officials stated that prompt intervention by security guards prevented the fire from escalating.

On the same morning at around 6:30 am, six to seven miscreants intercepted a courier staff member as he was returning home after his shift. After confirming whether he worked for AJR Courier Service, they assaulted him and robbed him of his smartphone and wallet.

Before the dust from these incidents could settle, another attack took place on 26 October near the Shanir Akhra Hanif Flyover roundabout in Jatrabari. Bricks were hurled at a moving covered van, shattering its windscreen.

On 27 October, the target shifted to AJR’s branch office at Arif Market in Fatullah, Narayanganj. At around 2:30 am, petrol or a similar flammable substance was sprayed outside the office and set on fire. Market security guards extinguished the flames.

Following this, two more covered vans were targeted. On the night of 31 October, in the same area of Jatrabari, the windscreens of the two vans were smashed, and one driver was given death threats.

Despite all this, the unidentified perpetrators did not stop. At around midnight on 1 November, an AJR covered van was attacked near the Matsya Bhaban area in Shahbagh. The assailants shattered the vehicle’s glass using iron hammers and hockey sticks. Bricks were thrown at the driver, Ahsan Habib, striking him in the head. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Khalek, the investigating officer for the case filed with Shahbagh Police Station, told Prothom Alo that no suspects have been identified so far. The investigation is progressing through footage analysis and evidence collection. However, it is suspected that the attackers acted out of a grudge against AJR.

That very night, another covered van was attacked in the Rayerbazar area of Mohammadpur. The driver was beaten with a steel pipe, pulled out of the vehicle, and robbed of his mobile phone and wallet.

The attackers then hurled a crude bomb (cocktail) into the cabin, setting the vehicle on fire. A case has been registered with Mohammadpur Police Station regarding this incident; however, police have yet to report any progress in identifying the perpetrators.

At around 9:15 pm on 3 November, a group of unidentified individuals was loitering outside the company’s office in the Mirpur 11 area of the capital. At one point, they hurled two petrol bombs directly at AJR staff member Md Babul Miah. Catching fire, his body suffered nearly 50 per cent burns. A case was subsequently filed with Pallabi Police Station.

Two days later, at around 9:30 pm on 5 November, an AJR delivery vehicle was attacked in the Rayerbazar area of Mohammadpur. At least 25 to 26 men arriving on 13 motorcycles smashed the vehicle’s glass. When the driver stepped out, they struck his legs with iron rods before tossing crude bombs (cocktails) and petrol bombs into the cabin, setting it ablaze.

The fire destroyed various goods inside the vehicle, including bank ATM cards, chequebooks, pharmaceuticals, apparel, cosmetics, and auto spare parts. The company claimed damages of approximately Tk 10 million (1 crore). A case regarding this incident was also registered at Mohammadpur Police Station.

Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Abdul Halim told Prothom Alo that technology-based tracking had yielded no leads to identify the perpetrators following the two incidents. Police are now pursuing local informants.

He added that although the attack occurred in Mohammadpur, it stems primarily from the dispute originating in Hazaribagh; hence, they are coordinating closely with Hazaribagh Police Station.

At around 3:00 am on the night of 4 November, another delivery vehicle was intercepted in the Gulistan Zero Point area under Paltan Police Station. The driver was pulled from the vehicle, choked, and beaten with sticks and iron rods.

Separately, on 4 November, allegations surfaced that a man named Zahir went to the staff quarters in Hazaribagh, threatening employees and attempting to break the locks.

At around 9:30 pm on 7 November, another product-carrying vehicle belonging to the firm was reportedly attacked in the Dhanmondi area.

Company official Jayanta Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that the vehicle was en route to the Hazaribagh warehouse via Mirpur Road. As it reached Road No. 3 in Dhanmondi, miscreants began vandalising the vehicle, dragged driver Mizanur Rahman out, and severely injured him with iron rods. A case is being prepared over the matter.

Later that night, Dhanmondi Police Station OC Muhammad Imdadul Islam Taieb told Prothom Alo, “Neither the victim nor the institution has submitted a formal complaint yet. We are investigating whether this incident stems from the dispute with AJR or a personal grievance involving the driver. However, CCTV footage of the exact spot has not been recovered yet, as cameras on adjacent shopping complexes failed to capture the scene.”

Early on Tuesday morning, AJR Group official Jayanta Chowdhury informed Prothom Alo that several miscreants attacked one of their vehicles on Northbrook Hall Road in Banglabazar at around 9:30 pm on Monday. The attackers threw four petrol bombs in an attempt to torch the vehicle and kill the driver.

The vehicle's windscreen was damaged, but the driver managed to speed away from the scene. At around 10:30 pm on Monday, another transport vehicle was targeted. Two helmet-clad terrorists on a high-speed motorcycle attacked the vehicle, throwing bricks to shatter its glass, he added.

Mizanur, a driver for the firm directly engaged in nationwide goods transport services, was attacked in the Dhanmondi area on the night of 7 November while heading towards the Hazaribagh warehouse.

Mizanur told Prothom Alo, “Before I could even realise what was happening, miscreants suddenly reached inside through the window in less than a minute, assaulted me, and vandalised the vehicle.” The AJR driver added, “With continuous attacks on our vehicles like this, we cannot transport goods normally. You cannot drive a vehicle while living in terror.”

AJR management claims that at least 5,000 workers are employed at the company, a major portion of whom belong to low-income brackets. Relentless attacks and threats have created panic among employees, leaving goods transport and delivery operations severely compromised.

Jayanta Chowdhury, assistant general manager (AGM) of the company's Human Resources and Audit Department, said, “We have filed police cases and General Diaries (GDs) for eight of the incidents, and complaints will be submitted for the remaining cases as well. However, despite so many complaints, the police are failing to arrest those involved or investigate the matter properly. In the face of such inaction, the attackers are gaining even more courage.”

Hafizur Rahman Pulak, president of the Courier Services Association of Bangladesh, believes it is vital to take necessary steps to stop the attacks and prevent their recurrence. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Monday, he said that building up a courier service provider requires immense effort, involving regular tax payments, marketing, and compensating for lost or damaged goods. Incidents such as serial attacks and threats against AJR Courier Service are harmful to any courier firm.