Police suspect a struggle for local dominance, linked to financial interests in the scrap trade, may have led to the killing of a Jubo Dal activist in Sitakunda.
Six people have been arrested, including the alleged shooter, who is involved in Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal politics, police say.
The suspects include Md Arif Hossain, 29, whom police identify as the alleged mastermind and shooter in the murder of Tarek Hossain Bappi, 26.
Arif is involved in Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal politics, police said.
Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam disclosed the arrests at a press conference on Sunday.
Police also recovered three illegal firearms they believe were used in the killing.
“We have learnt from the preliminary investigation that the murder was mainly driven by a struggle for local influence or dominance,” Masud said.
He pointed to financial interests in the scrap trade involving steel re-rolling mills in the area, while adding that investigators were examining other possible motives, including a dispute over the sand business.
Bappi was shot dead at Ali Nagar of Barabkunda Union in Chattogram’s Sitakunda Upazila on Friday night.
Tafsir Alam Shawon, 22, was also shot and injured while trying to save him.
Attack at a Three-Way Junction
Masud said Bappi and his friend Emon arrived by motorcycle at a three-way junction in Ali Nagar at around 10:40pm on Oct 16.
Arif and 10 to 15 associates were allegedly waiting there as part of a pre-planned attack.
The group launched a sudden assault, knocking Bappi off the motorcycle. Emon managed to escape.
The attackers first struck Bappi with locally made weapons before shooting him twice, including near the chest, Masud said.
When Shawon intervened, the assailants stabbed and shot him before fleeing together.
Police launched an investigation using CCTV footage, accounts from local residents and intelligence.
They first identified Ariful Islam Javed, 25, as the person who took Bappi’s motorcycle, arrested him and recovered the vehicle.
Three suspects, including Arif, were later arrested in the Jorarganj area while allegedly trying to flee to Dhaka.
Based on information provided by the suspects, police recovered a foreign-made pistol, a foreign-made revolver and an LG firearm near Arif’s home.
The arrestees said the weapons had been used in the murder, Masud said.
The other suspects are Fakhrul Islam, 32, Abdul Mannan, 28, Iftekhar, 35, and Rony. All six are residents of different areas of Barabkunda Union.
Police Reject Political Protection
Asked about the political affiliations of the victim and suspects, Masud said the investigation would focus on the crime rather than party identity.
“The person who was killed was a local Jubo Dal activist, while the arrested Arif is involved in Chhatra Dal politics. The bigger issue is that they committed a heinous crime,” he said.
Masud added that police had received no lobbying over the case and pledged to bring everyone involved to justice.