VAT officer killed in Cumilla after being thrown from moving auto-rickshaw, 5 arrested

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested five individuals in connection with the killing of a VAT officer in Cumilla after he was assaulted and pushed from a moving CNG-run auto-rickshaw.

The victim, Bullet Bairagi, was targeted after getting off a bus late at night, said Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of Legal and Media Wing, at a press briefing held at the RAB Media Centre in the capital's Karwan Bazar today (27 April).

Photo: TBS

According to Intekhab Chowdhury, the officer went missing around 11pm on 24 April while travelling from Chattogram to Cumilla. About 12 hours later, at around 8:45am on 25 April, his body was recovered beside a hotel in the Kotbari area of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway by Moynamoti Highway Police. Multiple injury marks were found on the body.

Bairagi was taken onto a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, beaten, and later thrown from the moving vehicle, leading to his death at the scene.

Five individuals, identified by RAB as an organised gang, were arrested yesterday (26 April) in connection with the incident. They were arrested on 26 April during operations in different areas of Cumilla. A CNG-run auto-rickshaw, machete, Swiss gear, hammer and other items were seized.

The arrested men were identified as Md Sohag, Ismail Hossain Jony, Imran Hossain Hridoy, Rahat Hossain Jewel and Sujon.

RAB said the group regularly targeted long-distance passengers using CNG-run auto-rickshaws.

A CNG-run auto-rickshaw, a machete, a hammer and other items were seized during the drives.

RAB also said the suspects have multiple cases at different police stations, including theft, robbery and drug-related charges.

He added that a murder case has been filed by the victim's mother with Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station in Cumilla against unidentified individuals.