Underworld revenge, rivalry behind Titon killing
A case was filed with New Market Police Station on Wednesday, a day after the killing of listed criminal Khondaker Naeem Ahmed Titon, once ranked second on the BNP-Jamaat alliance government’s 2001 list of 23 top criminals.
On December 26, 2001, during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, a list of 23 top criminals was prepared, with a total reward of Tk 1.5 million announced for information leading to their arrest. Among them was Khondaker Naeem Ahmed Titon, a well-known figure in the capital’s criminal underworld, who was killed in a targeted shooting on Tuesday night.
Although the case was filed against unnamed accused, another listed criminal, Imamul Hasan Helal alias Pichchi Helal, along with several others, has emerged as a suspect.
On Wednesday morning, the victim’s elder brother, Khondaker Saeed Akhtar Ripon, lodged the case with New Market Police Station against unknown persons.
According to the complaint, on April 26, Titon phoned his brother and said he was in dispute with Imamul Hasan Helal alias Pichchi Helal, Badal alias Killer Badal alias Kaila Badal, Shahjahan, and Roni alias Dagari Roni over the lease schedule of the Bashila cattle market.
The following day, April 27, Titon reportedly said he had been called for a meeting to resolve the matter through mutual discussion. Later, at around 11:00pm on Tuesday, April 28, Ripon learned from various people that his brother had been shot dead.
Titon entered the criminal underworld in the early 1990s and quickly became notorious through arms trading and a series of violent incidents. More than a dozen cases were filed against him, including the high-profile murders of businessman Babar Elahi and Saeed Ahmed Tipu, brother of former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed.
He was arrested from the Dhaka Cantonment area in 2004 and, in 2014, was sentenced to death in the Babar Elahi murder case.
Law enforcement sources said that after the political turmoil following August 5, 2024, several convicted criminals and listed offenders secured bail and were released from prison one after another.
Among them were Mirpur’s Abbas Ali alias Killer Abbas, Tejgaon’s Sheikh Mohammad Aslam alias Sweden Aslam, Mohammadpur’s Imamul Hasan Helal alias Pichchi Helal, Khorshed Alam alias Rasu alias Freedom Rasu, Hazaribagh’s Sanzidule Islam Imon, and Khondaker Naeem Ahmed alias Titon.
After spending nearly 20 years in prison, Titon was released on bail from Kashimpur High Security Prison on August 13, 2024.
On Tuesday evening at around 7:45pm, unidentified assailants shot Titon several times at close range in front of Shahnewaz Hall of Dhaka University near New Market before fleeing on motorcycles.
At the time, he was reportedly walking through the area on foot. Passers-by rescued him and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the attending doctor declared him dead at 8:27pm.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam said, “It has been confirmed that the deceased is top criminal Naeem Ahmed Titon. Although there were no CCTV cameras at the exact spot, footage from surrounding areas is being collected.”
Police and intelligence agencies believe the killing may have stemmed from longstanding rivalries among criminal groups.
Apart from the dispute over the Bashila cattle market lease, investigators suspect Titon may have been targeted in retaliation for the murder of Saeed Ahmed Tipu.
Law enforcement officials are also examining whether Joseph Ahmed, brother of former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed and himself a listed criminal, had any role in the incident.
However, multiple sources within law enforcement and the criminal underworld claimed the killing was carried out in a planned operation to avenge Tipu’s murder.
According to these sources, Badal alias Killer Badal, a Mohammadpur-based associate of Joseph Ahmed, returned to Dhaka from Dubai about a month ago to execute the operation. It is alleged that the plan was coordinated from Dubai by Joseph Ahmed.
Tipu was killed in 1999 in the Nikunja area near Airport Road when gunmen opened fire on his moving vehicle. Investigators at the time identified Titon as being directly involved in the killing, and he later served a lengthy prison sentence in that case.
Sources said that after his release from prison, Titon remained under close watch, while his brother-in-law, another listed criminal, Sanzidule Islam Imon, left the country.
They added that Joseph Ahmed had allegedly been planning retaliation since Titon’s release. Badal was reportedly sent back to Bangladesh specifically to carry out the operation, while local associates kept Titon under surveillance.
Investigators believe that both motives — revenge for Tipu’s murder and the dispute over the Bashila cattle market lease — may have contributed to the killing.
Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation into the incident.
