5 arrested over cattle market leaseholder office shooting
The group opened fire at a sacrificial cattle market leaseholder's office after demanding Tk10 lakh in extortion.
Police have arrested alleged shooter Tanim Reza, alias Bappi, and four associates over an extortion-linked shooting at a cattle market leaseholder's office in the capital's Motijheel, recovering three foreign-made firearms and seven rounds of ammunition.
Police said the group opened fire at a sacrificial cattle market leaseholder's office in the South Kamalapur area after demanding Tk10 lakh in extortion via WhatsApp using a foreign phone number.
Speaking at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road today (18 July), Additional Police Commissioner (Estate, Development and ICT) and acting additional commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mohammad Osman Gani said the four other arrestees were Mohammad Jewel, Shakil, Md Manik Kazi and Rakibul Islam Bhuiyan, alias Rizon.
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He said unidentified assailants opened fire at the businessman's office on 19 May after demanding Tk10 lakh and issuing death threats via WhatsApp on 15 May. Investigators later identified Bappi and his associates as suspects.
Osman Gani said Bappi was arrested near Hotel Purbani yesterday along with Jewel, Shakil and Manik Kazi.
Police later arrested Rizon in North Kamalapur based on information from the suspects and technological evidence.
Police also raided Bappi's office in South Kamalapur, recovering a foreign-made revolver, two foreign-made pistols, seven rounds of ammunition, two magazines, an electric shock gun and a Chinese-made axe.
A separate case has been filed under the Arms Act over the recovered weapons, he added.
Osman Gani said Bappi is a known armed criminal linked to several shootings and extortion cases in Motijheel.
He faces seven cases under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on charges of extortion, robbery, abduction, attempted murder, violence against women and children, and narcotics offences.
Asked whether Bappi had links to listed criminal Subrata Bain, Osman Gani said investigators were examining his associates and who directed his activities.
"It is a time-consuming process. Nothing has been confirmed yet," he said.
Later in the afternoon, a Dhaka court has placed Bappi and his associate Rakibul on a seven-day remand as investigators seeking to identify other suspects and recover evidence.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jamsed Alam passed the order after investigation officer Sub-Inspector Mominur Rahman of Motijheel Police Station produced the two suspects before the court and sought a seven-day remand for each.
In the remand application, police said custodial interrogation was necessary to verify the suspects' identities and addresses, identify and arrest unidentified accomplices - including the alleged gunman involved in the incident - and recover the firearm allegedly used in the offence.
