Staff Reporter :
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested five members of a gang, including the ringleader, responsible for the murder of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver and the hijacking of his vehicle in Dhaka’s Pallabi area.
At a press conference held on Friday at the RAB-4 headquarters in Mirpur-1, Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Md. Mahbub Alam disclosed the details of the case.
He stated that on Thursday the RAB conducted joint operations in Dhaka, Brahmanbaria, and Cumilla to arrest the suspects and recover the stolen vehicle.
The arrestees are: Md. Sourav Sarkar (20), Md. Yasin Mia (20) both from Brahmanbaria along with Md. Musa (25), Md. Dulal Mia (32), and Md. Shahjalal (26).
Mahbub Alam said a body was discovered near Gate 4 of the DOHS area in Mirpur on May 16. Upon being informed, a RAB-4 team visited the scene and identified the deceased as Abdul Ajid, also known as Bacchu, a professional CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver.
The RAB launched a shadow investigation and tracked the suspects to various districts. In the joint operation on May 22, five individuals were arrested, and the stolen CNG was recovered.
According to their preliminary interrogation, the gang comprised 6-7 people. The plan originated in Brahmanbaria. Friends Musa, Sourav, and Yasin, who had a history of petty theft and robbery, conspired to hijack a CNG in Dhaka, believing it would yield more money.
On May 15 evening, Sourav and Yasin met in Agargaon and waited until around 3:00 a.m. to find a suitable target. Sourav rented Abdul Ajid’s CNG from in front of Ibn Sina Hospital at Shyamoli and picked up Yasin near the 60 Feet Water Tank area.
As per their plan, they asked the driver to turn the vehicle around. When he stepped out to comply, they struck him on the back of the head and, under Musa’s instruction, ensured his death.
They attempted to dispose of the body in multiple locations before finally dumping it near a ceramic wall beside the south side of the DOHS canteen in Pallabi. They then fled to Savar.
Later, the gang cleaned the CNG and three of them began their journey to Brahmanbaria. On the way, Shahjalal and Dulal associates of Al Amin, the head of a CNG smuggling ring joined them.
The next day, Al Amin bought the stolen CNG for Tk 45,000 and took it to Debidwar, Cumilla, for repainting and modifications. RAB-4 later recovered the vehicle from a workshop and arrested five members of the gang.
During interrogation, RAB learned that all arrestees were drug addicts and committed the crime to fund their drug use and gambling habits. Though their original plan was to hijack the CNG, the victim died due to a heavy blow during the attack.
Legal proceedings against the arrested individuals are underway, and operations to arrest the remaining suspects continue, RAB confirmed.
