Musabbir killed over extortion: DMP

Staff Reporter :

Swechchhasebak Dal leader Azizur Rahman Musabbir was murdered over extortion and dominance in the Karwan Bazar area, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said on Saturday.
Briefing reporters at the DMP Media Centre, the Detective Branch chief said eight to nine syndicates are currently involved in collecting extortion money in Karwan Bazar, both openly and covertly.

“The murder was carried out on the instructions of Dilip, alias Binash, centring on extortion money,” Shafiqul Islam said. “We are trying to dismantle these syndicates and will launch drives soon.”

Musabbir, a former general secretary of the Swechchhasebak Dal’s Dhaka North City unit, was shot dead on January 7 in an alley near Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.

His wife filed a murder case with Tejgaon Police Station the following day, accusing four to five unidentified assailants.

Police said the Detective Branch arrested four suspects — Zinnat, 24, Abdul Kadir, 28, Md Reaz, 31, and Md Bilal — on January 11 in connection with the killing. Another alleged shooter, Rahim, was arrested from Narsingdi on Friday, bringing the total number of arrestees to five.

When asked whether the suspects were politically affiliated, Shafiqul Islam said they should be identified as extortionists rather than political activists. “Extortionists have no political ideology. They take shelter under various political banners solely for the purpose of extortion,” he said.

Police said further arrests were likely as investigations continue into the extortion networks operating in the Karwan Bazar area.