Escaped once, not twice: Listed criminal Sarwar gunned down in second turf war hit after surviving March attack
According to Sarowar’s family, he had received a phone threat three days prior to the killing
Three months after surviving an armed attack, alleged gangster Sarwar Hossain Babla was shot dead on Wednesday evening during a public gathering for BNP's Chattogram-8 candidate Ershad Ullah in Chalitatali Khandkarpara under Bayezid Police Station.
Witnesses said gunmen approached Sarwar from behind, pressed a pistol to his back, and fired multiple rounds to ensure his death. A video of the shooting, widely circulated on social media, shows him collapsing instantly, triggering panic among the crowd.
BNP candidate Ershad Ullah, who was standing nearby, also sustained injuries. In addition, party activist Irfanul Haque, alias Shanto, was critically wounded in the attack and rushed to Evercare Hospital in Chattogram, where doctors described his condition as serious. Following the shooting, police have tightened security across the area.
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Bayezid Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jasim Uddin said the body of the deceased was sent to Chattogram Medical College morgue for autopsy, and the injured were receiving treatment. "Multiple teams are working to arrest the perpetrators," he said, adding that security had been strengthened across the locality.
Adding to the unrest, another gun violence took place in the same locality less than 24 hours later. Rickshaw puller Md Idris Ali (37) was shot in Kuayish Chalitatoli around 1:30pm yesterday. He was immediately rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and admitted to the casualty ward, where his condition is currently stable.
Fatal warning: Sarwar threatened a day before
According to Sarwar's family, he had received a phone threat three days prior. His father, Abdul Kader, said fugitive gangster Sajjad Ali, his aide Sajjad Hossain alias Chhoto Sajjad, and associate Md Rayan had repeatedly threatened him.
"Just three days ago, Rayan called and said, 'Your time is over, eat what you can while you can,'" Kader said.
Sarwar joined the BNP campaign only hours before his death, attending Maghrib prayers with Ershad at a nearby mosque. "We never imagined they would kill him just a few hundred yards from home," his father added.
Gang rivalry and criminal history
Police and locals said the killing stems from a longstanding turf war over sand trading and extortion in the Bayezid–Bakalia areas. Sarwar's feud with Chhoto Sajjad, a lieutenant of fugitive Boro Sajjad (Sajjad Ali), had been escalating for years.
In March, gunmen opened fire on a private car carrying Sarwar near Bakalia Access Road, killing his associates Bakhtiar Hossain Manik and Abdullah Al Rifat. Sarwar narrowly escaped.
Arrested suspects later confessed the attack was carried out on Chhoto Sajjad's orders to reassert control over local extortion networks. Police confirmed Sarwar faced 15 cases, including murder, arms possession, and extortion.
From ally to enemy
Sarwar entered Chattogram's criminal scene in 2006 under Boro Sajjad, known for his role in the Bohoddarhat six-murder case. Although Sajjad Ali was later acquitted and fled abroad, he continued running his network through Chhoto Sajjad.
Sarwar and associate Nurunnabi alias Maxon, rose to notoriety within that circle and were sentenced to 21 years in prison in an arms case. Released on bail in 2017, they went to Qatar; Sarwar was later arrested upon returning home, and Maxon reportedly died by suicide in India in 2022.
After his release from jail in August last year, Sarwar appeared to distance himself from his former gang and was seen mingling with local BNP leaders. His wedding last month was attended by several senior BNP figures.
Political and civic reaction
The daylight killing during an election campaign has sparked outrage. BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said it might be part of a "deliberate attempt to disrupt the electoral process."
Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami's Chattogram city unit also condemned the killing. Civil rights group Shujan's Chattogram coordinator, Advocate Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, said the attack reflects a collapse of policing professionalism and the continued impunity of criminal groups under political patronage.
Ershar Ullah was not the target; assailants came for Sarwar: Police
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz told reporters, "Ershad Ullah was not the target. We are taking all measures to ensure this incident does not disrupt the election, and a full-scale manhunt is underway."
Visiting the hospital late Wednesday night, he added, "The masterminds are already in custody. Their associates carried out this attack and fled on motorcycles. We have gathered evidence that will help identify them soon."
Regarding the latest shooting, in which rickshaw puller Md Idris Ali was injured in the same Chalitatoli area, police said no suspects or concrete evidence were found at the scene.
Nevertheless, the incident has further heightened concerns about the locality potentially becoming a hotspot for violent crime.
