Top listed criminals ‘Pichchi’ Helal, Titon abscond after bail

Two top-listed criminals, Imamul Hasan alias "Pichchi" Helal and Khandaker Naim Ahmed alias Titon, have gone into hiding after being released on bail.

Although their bail conditions required them to appear in court regularly, they failed to do so after their release.

The Dhaka Judicial Court issued arrest warrants for them on February 25 after they did not appear as scheduled.

The court also directed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to arrest them immediately.

Following this, the DMP headquarters instructed the Detective Branch (DB) to execute the arrest warrants and informed various police range offices.

Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) Rezaul Karim Mallick stated, "There will be no place for criminals in this country. Top criminals released on bail will be brought under the law soon."

However, he did not specify how the police would bring them back if they had fled abroad.

Sources in law enforcement suspect that several top criminals released on bail have already left the country, including Helal and Titon.

Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on 5 August 2024, at least six top criminals have been released on bail, most of whom had been in prison for over a decade.

Among them are Abbas Ali of Mirpur, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam alias Sweden Aslam of Tejgaon, Sanjidul Islam alias Emon of Hazaribagh, Khurshed Alam alias Rasu alias Freedom Rasu, along with Helal and Titon.

Police records show that on 22 September, a case was filed against Helal with Mohammadpur Police Station for allegedly murdering two youths in Rayerbazar two days earlier.

According to police, the killings resulted from a turf war between rival groups seeking control over the area after the political transition. Other recently released criminals have also been accused of extortion and land grabbing.

Intelligence sources indicate that prior to the government's fall, special branches of law enforcement actively monitored major criminals, including their legal proceedings and bail requests.

However, the post-transition instability weakened law enforcement, allowing many top criminals to secure bail with little resistance.

The lack of surveillance after their release has further enabled them to evade the authorities.

Asked about police monitoring of these criminals, DMP Commissioner Sajjad Ali stated, "The police are alert against top criminals. They have been released on bail by the court. DMP will apply for the cancellation of their bail to maintain law and order."

Touhidul Haque, associate professor at Dhaka University's Institute of Social Welfare and Research, stressed the need for strict monitoring. 

"Without proper surveillance, the situation could spiral out of control under the current weak policing system. These criminals must be brought under the law before that happens," he said.