Accused granted bail over AL leader Zahidul killing commits murder again

Awami League leader Zahidul Islam Tipu was murdered over control of the criminal underworld in Dhaka's Motijheel area. Sumon Sikder, alias Musa, one of the alleged planners of the murder, was extradited from Oman by the police at the time. 

However, he was released on bail five months after the fall of the Awami League government. Police revealed that Musa was involved in another murder that occurred on 20 January this year in Pallabi, Dhaka.

According to police, the victim of the Pallabi murder was 24-year-old Manjurul Islam, alias Babu, also known as "Blade Babu" in the criminal world. Babu was an accused in the controversial Shahin Uddin murder case in Pallabi. 

Investigations suggest that Babu’s murder occurred due to disputes over control of the criminal underworld. The incident highlights a conflict between the Musa group and the Mamun group, led by top criminal Mofizur Rahman, alias Mamun, who reportedly operates from outside the country. 

Babu was known to be associated with the Mamun group, and the murder was committed to expand Musa’s dominance over the criminal world.

Initially, the Pallabi police station conducted the investigation of Babu's murder. Sub-inspector (SI) Ahiduzzaman of Pallabi police station, who was the first investigation officer, informed Prothom Alo that Sumon Sikder, alias Musa, named in Babu’s murder case, was also an accused in the murder of Awami League leader Zahidul Islam Tipu in Motijheel. Musa had recently been released on bail.

Currently, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch (DB) is investigating the Babu murder case. Additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of DB’s Mirpur division, Sonahar Ali Sharif, disclosed to Prothom Alo that two individuals, Md Murad and Tufan, both members of the Musa group, have been arrested in connection with the case. 

During interrogation, they provided details of other individuals involved, which are currently being verified. It has been confirmed that the murder was motivated by a quest for dominance in the criminal world.

A police source revealed that Babu was previously a member of the Musa group but joined the Mamun group after Musa’s arrest in connection with the Zahidul Islam murder case. Musa was angered by that. After Musa was released on bail on 3 January, Babu was killed on 20 January.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Babu’s wife, Rabeya Akhter Mim, stated that her husband was called on his mobile phone due to a local dispute related to money owed. She insisted that her husband had no connections to any criminal group.

In the Motijheel area, Zahidul Islam alias Tipu, General Secretary of the Motijheel Thana Awami League, was killed in a random shooting near the Amtola Mosque area of Shahjahanpur in the capital on the night of 24 March, 2022. The murder stemmed from disputes over internal conflict within the Awami League and control of the criminal underworld. During the shooting, college student Samia Afreen, alias Preeti, 22, who was sitting in a rickshaw at the scene, was also shot and killed.

Musa's name emerged in the police investigation as one of the planners of the Tipu murder. Sources involved in the case stated that Musa had 11 cases against him, including charges of murder and illegal possession of weapons, in various police stations across Dhaka, including Motijheel and Pallabi. 

Musa was identified as a member of the notorious Prakash-Bikash group, a top criminal outfit in Dhaka. He was also accused in the 2016 murder case of Jubo League leader Rizvi Hasan, alias Bocha Babu, in the Motijheel AGB Colony.

The investigation revealed that Musa acted as a mediator between a local Awami League leader and several top criminals residing abroad to orchestrate Tipu's murder. He reportedly received Tk 900,000 from the Awami League leader in Motijheel to execute the plan. 

Musa then instructed the accused in the Rizvi Hasan murder case to carry out the killing. He left for Dubai on 12 March, 2022, just 12 days before Tipu's murder. Following the incident, Musa traveled from Dubai to Oman. On 9 June, 2022, he was extradited to Bangladesh with the help of Omani police.

Meanwhile, police sources revealed insights about another top criminal, Mamun, who has been a dominant figure in Mirpur's criminal underworld since the mid-1990s. Mamun was arrested in 2001 but released on bail in 2004, after which he fled to India. Despite living abroad, Mamun maintained significant influence over Mirpur's criminal operations. He was implicated in several murders during his time in India, including the 2008 killing of Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, alias Montu, which arose from disputes over the control of the jhut (garment waste) business in Pallabi. Between 1996 and 2009, Mamun had 27 cases filed against him for crimes such as murder, extortion, drug trafficking, illegal arms possession, and robbery, primarily at Pallabi and Mohammadpur police stations in Dhaka.

Mamun’s activities in India led to his arrest in 2008 on charges of illegal entry and passport forgery. After serving a 10-year sentence, he was released in 2018. Following his release, Mamun re-established connections with two prominent Mirpur-based criminals, Ibrahim and Shahadat Hossain, and continued to control Mirpur's criminal underworld from India. He returned to Bangladesh in 2020 and was arrested in Dhaka on 7 February 2021. However, Mamun was released on bail within months and fled the country again.

Police have described the recent murder of Manjurul Islam, alias Babu, in Pallabi as an example of the resurgence of criminal activities. Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch additional commissioner Rezaul Karim Mallik stated to Prothom Alo on Sunday night that the DB will intensify efforts to apprehend criminals and bring top terrorists under the purview of the law.