Police identify assailants in Ctg gun attack on businessman’s residence

Chittagong remains on edge after heavily armed assailants opened fire on the residence of prominent industrialist Mostafizur Rahman, chairman of Smart Group, yesterday (28 February) morning.

The attack, part of a continuing campaign of extortion and intimidation, saw four masked men armed with pistols, a submachine gun, a Chinese rifle, and a shotgun target the house.

South Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, Hosain Kabir Bhuiyan, said, "The gunmen used a private car and a motorcycle to reach the area, left the vehicles at a distance, fired at the house, and left within minutes. It is suspected that associates of fugitive gangster Sazzad Ali carried out this incident."

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters at the Secretariat, "Since the political government assumed office, law and order have stabilised. Some incidents occur, and action is immediately taken. In the Chittagong case, all perpetrators have been identified. The top criminals will be brought under the law. The government has a plan in place, which will not be disclosed at this time."

Advocate Aktar Kabir Chowdhury, secretary of Shujan's Chattogram divisional coordination committee, told The Business Standard, "The criminals are becoming increasingly unstoppable. There are visible gaps in the law enforcement agencies' commitment and professionalism. In this modern age, such gangs cannot operate without either the administration's complicity or support. This could put the new government's image at risk, and political factions may exploit these networks for their own gain."

Rahman stated that Sazzad, who has long been in exile, first demanded Tk10 crore and later Tk5 crore. A previous attack on 2 January was similarly linked to ransom demands, and Sazzad reportedly sent a threatening WhatsApp message days before the latest incident, reading: "Wait and see." Rahman's family has remained under police protection since a similar attack in January.

Ringmaster behind curtains

Investigations indicate that the network of Sazzad Ali alias Boro Sazzad has established near-total control over Chattogram city's underworld, using extortion, targeted killings, and territorial dominance to eliminate rivals and secure unchallenged influence.

Sazzad rose to notoriety in Chittagong after the 1999 killing of councillor Liaqat Ali Khan and has since directed his criminal network from abroad, listed on Interpol's most-wanted as Sazzad Khan.

Around 2006, under Boro Sazzad, associates Nur Nabi Maxon, Sarwar Hossain Babla, Akbar Ali, and Choto Sazzad established a reign of terror across Bayezid, Panchlaish, Chandgaon, and Hathazari. The gang has been linked to multiple high-profile murders and extortion cases, eliminating rivals to maintain dominance.

After splitting from the gang post-2015, Sarwar and Akbar became rivals of Boro Sazzad's network. Sarwar was publicly shot dead on 5 November, while Akbar Ali, also known as Dhakaiya Akbar, was killed on 23 May at Patenga beach. Maxon died by suicide in 2022.

Domestic operations were led by Choto Sazzad, currently in custody, with at least 50 shooters and associates. Leadership now rests with Mohammad Raihan and Mobarak Hossain, alias Emon.