RAB member among 5 held while 'preparing for robbery' in Banani

A team of Detective Branch (DB) police arrested five people, including a serving member of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), in the capital's Banani yesterday (3 September) while they were allegedly preparing for a robbery.

According to DB sources, the group had a foreign pistol, police-marked handcuffs and a walkie-talkie. They also had a Hiace microbus, black Scotch tape and shopping bags ready.

The arrests were made in front of Khayer Palace on Road 4 in Banani's Block A at around 9:35am.

The arrested RAB member, Md Masud Rana, is a soldier in the force's Dog Squad at RAB headquarters, DB sources said.

After preliminary questioning, DB handed him over to RAB authorities.

The other four arrested are Md Rajib Howlader, 30, Hafizul Matbar, 24, Mohammad Shakil Hossain, 24, and Md Badal, 42.

DB sources said a team of about 45 members from the DB Gulshan division conducted the operation on a tip-off.

DB officials said they were investigating whether the group planned to pose as police during the robbery to control the victims.

They are also looking into how the police-marked handcuffs came into their possession, the source of the pistol, and whether the microbus had previously been used in any crime.

MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB's Legal and Media Wing, said RAB was aware that DB had arrested Masud Rana.

He said RAB had formed an inquiry board headed by a major to investigate the incident.

If the investigation finds the allegations to be true, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the RAB member concerned, he added.

DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said legal proceedings against the arrested people were being initiated with Banani Police Station.

He also said investigators were looking into whether the five were involved in any organised criminal gang, the source of the recovered weapon, and whether they had been involved in any previous crimes.