Notorious 'Blacker' Shamsu arrested

8 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested a most notorious criminal of the south-western region from Kalibari Road in Khulna city Wednesday evening. The arrestee, Shamsul Alam alias Blacker Shamsu, 50, of Rajapur village under Rupsha upazila of Khulna district faces several cases filed with different police stations in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Jessore districts, said Md Abu Sayem, assistant commissioner (DB) of Khulna Metropolitan Police. There are specific charges of smuggling and hoarding of rice and sugar, illegal trade of arms, explosive substances, drugs, gold, Indian clothes and cosmetics against Shamsu, said the police official. He is also a harbourer and financier of a group of armed cadres of Janajuddho faction of outlawed PBCP, police said. DB police was interrogating him at the KMP headquarters when this report was being filed. Shamsul, who started working as a tailor on Helatala Road in Khulna city in 1985, joined the gang of foodgrain lifters of Khulna skid ghat under notorious criminal Ershad Shikder (hanged in a murder case). Shamsu took up the charge for smuggling of rice, arms, Indian clothes, spices, explosive substances and cosmetics after Ershad Shikder was arrested on August 11, 1999. He went into hiding after Ershad Shikder was hanged on May 10 in 2003 in connection with murder of a Jubo League leader. Arrested several times by Rapid Action Battalion and police since 2004, Shamsu managed to get bail from courts allegedly due to weak investigations by police. A home ministry meeting held on April 30 in 2003 listed him as a notorious smuggler and hundi trader.