Where are the 44 accomplices of Barkat-Rubel?
Faridpur town Awami League general secretary Sajjad Hossain alias Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan alias Rubel, arrested on various charges, have named 60 of their accomplices in their confessional statements.
Police detained 16 of their accomplices till Wednesday while the remaining 44 are on the run.
Local residents demanded their arrest.
These criminals have made fortunes, driving away the genuine workers of Awami League.
On 7 June, police arrested Barkat and his brother Rubel on charges of violence, extortion, land grabbing and tender manipulation. Later, police arrested 16 more people. Nine cases were filed against them. Some 13 of them in their deposition at the court mentioned 60 accomplices of Barkat and Rubel.
Former Faridpur district Awami League vice president and Faridpur sadar upazila former chairman Shamsul Haque said those who have already been arrested have committed crimes under the shelter of Faridpur’s constituency-3 member of parliament Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.
According to Barkat and his brother Rubel, their main accomplices are district Jubo League convenor AHM Foad, Faridpur Industries and Trade Association president Siddiqur Rahman, district Shechhashebok League general secretary Fahad Bin Wazed, town Jubo League joint convenors Tariqul Islam, Kamrul Hasan alias David and Mohammad Ali alias Minar, district Chhatra League general secretary Saiful Islam, Barkat’s cousin and town Awami League organising secretary Jafar Iqbal Haroon Mandal.
Police have not been able to arrest these accomplices as yet.
Sources said most of these people are in hiding. Some have reportedly fled the country.
In their confessional statements, the two brothers also mentioned the names of Faridpur sadar’s Kanaipur union parishad chairman Fakir Belayet Hossain, Ishan Gopalpur UP chairman Shahidul Islam, Decreechar UP chairman Mehedi Hasan and Aliabad UP chairman Omar Faruk.
Local residents said these chairmen are not appearing in the public, and they kept their cell phones switched off.
District Awami League former general secretary and former Awami League central committee member Bipul Ghosh said these criminals have made fortunes, driving away the genuine workers of Awami League. These people will have to be brought to book, he added.
Faridpur superintendent of police Alimuzzaman said many of the accomplices of Barkat and Rubel have been arrested, and operations are underway to arrest the rest.