Kashimpur jailbreak: RAB arrests escaped death row convict in Dhaka

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested a death row convict who escaped from Kashimpur High Security Central Prison during the violence that followed the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024.

Acting on a tip-off, a RAB-4 operational team conducted a raid in the Darus Salam area of Dhaka yesterday (10 July) afternoon and arrested Md Abdullah Sikdar, 24, a death row convict in a murder case.

According to RAB, Abdullah had been serving his sentence at Kashimpur Central Jail since 23 December 2023 after being convicted in the case filed in Gopalganj.

RAB said that on 6 August 2024, prisoners at the prison in Gazipur came out of their cells amid the unrest following the fall of the government on 5 August. The inmates allegedly rioted, set fires, held prison guards hostage and attempted to escape.

During the incident, Abdullah and several other inmates allegedly broke an electric pole to make a makeshift ladder and used it to climb over the prison wall before escaping.

Following the incident, prison authorities filed a case with Konabari Police Station against the escaped inmates.

After escaping, Abdullah remained in hiding by adopting various disguises and staying at different locations across the country to evade arrest.

RAB said intelligence and information technology later confirmed his presence in the Darus Salam area. Based on that information, the force carried out the raid and arrested him.

Abdullah is convicted of attacking his neighbour Lutfor Rahman with a hammer and an axe on 7 October 2021, which resulted in the victim's death.

Following the incident, Tungipara Police Station in Gopalganj registered a case under Sections 302 and 34 of the Penal Code. Police later arrested Abdullah and his two accomplices.

After the trial, the court sentenced all three accused to death, after which they were sent to Kashimpur High Security Central Prison.