Ctg double murder: 13-men armed gang carried out mission, 2 arrested, police say
The arrestees are – Md Belal, 27, from Islampur Sandwippara village in Lama, Bandarban, and Md Manik, 24, from Alipara area of Kanchannagar in Fatikchhari upazila
Police on Thursday (3 April) arrested two suspects in connection with the double murder in Chattogram's Bakalia.
They are – Md Belal, 27, from Islampur Sandwippara village in Lama, Bandarban, and Md Manik, 24, from Alipara area of Kanchannagar in Fatikchhari upazila.
Belal was arrested in the port city's Badamtal area, while Manik was from Fatikchhari, said Bakalia police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ikhtiar Uddin.
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A gang of 13 to 14 individuals were involved in the film-style attack, while seven to eight of them were armed with pistols, according to police investigation and CCTV findings.
In the early hours of 30 April, the attackers arrived on bikes at the Bakalia access road intersection near Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge, and ambushed a private car, leaving two shot dead.
Police say the attackers carried 7.65mm bore pistols, and fired indiscriminately along a two-kilometre stretch from Shah Amanat Bridge to Bakalia access road.
After analysing CCTV footage, three have been identified as Md Hasan, Mubarak Hossain, and Raihan – who are among the accused in the case.
Most of those involved have been identified, and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects, OC Ikhtiar said.
A gang rivalry turned deadly
The attack claimed the lives of Bakhtiar Hossain and Md Abdullah, both followers of locally known crime gang kingpin Sarwar Hossain. Sarwar himself was in the car during the attack but survived.
As per the case filed by victim Bakhtiar's mother, Feroza Begum, the murders stemmed from a long-standing rivalry between two crime figures in the port city – Sarwar Hossain and Sajjad Hossain alias "Chhoto Sajjad", who was arrested in the capital's Bashundhara City on 15 March.
Feroza alleged that the attack was by Sajjad's followers, and he orchestrated it from behind bars, while his wife Tamanna Sharmin masterminded it.
The couple is among the accused.
Sajjad's wife Tamanna has denied any involvement of her husband in the incident, questioning how Sajjad could plan a murder while in prison.
Police sources say both Chhoto Sajjad and Sarwar were once followers of fugitive criminal Sajjad Ali, and their conflict started a decade ago when Sarwar parted ways with Sajjad Ali.
Both Chhoto Sajjad and Sarwar were accused in multiple cases and released on bail after 5 August.
Robin, a witness who was injured in the attack and is now undergoing treatment, claimed that the attack was meant to eliminate Sarwar.
He said he believes that Sajjad's recent arrest and disputes over control have led to the attack.
Sarwar, the apparent target of the attack, insists that he has turned away from crime, and claims the attack was in retaliation for reporting Sajjad to the police.
Police investigation into the case is underway.
