10 outlaws arrested from remote Sirajganj villages

Six GMF cadres on fresh remand in Kushtia

20 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Ten outlaws were arrested in Sirajganj while six others were taken on fresh remand in Kushtia yesterday. Police in a special drive yesterday arrested ten 'top-level members' of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) from two remote villages in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj district, reports our correspondent. The arrestees are Toslim Uddin, 45, Rawshan Ali, 55, Khoybar Hossain, 50, Asadul Haque, 35, Abul Kashem, 40, Abu Harez, 55, Hazrat Ali, 45, Saiful Islam, 38, of Boroichara village and Barat Ali, 36, and Mozibar Rahman, 42, of Paikora village in the upazila. They all were wanted in several criminal cases including robbery and killing. Sources said, a police team led by Mahfuz Zaman Ashraf, ASP of Raiganj Circle raided a number of remote villages yesterday in the wake of sharp rise in activities of extremists in the area. The team captured the ten outlaws from Boroitola and Paikora villages. Our Correspondent in Kushtia adds: The Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court yesterday placed six outlaws belonging to Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) on a three-day fresh remand. Earlier, they were produced before the court seeking five-day remand. The outlaws are Raihan Ali, Sirajul Islam Masud, Almas Gaffar Jony, Mominur Rahman Abu, Karibul Islam and Mizanur Rahman. Police said, they took the six on fresh remand for quizzing on several murder incidents in the district allegedly carried out by GMF cadres. The murders include Bheramara upazila Awami League (AL) joint secretary Meherul and college teacher Banda Fattah Mohon. They will also be grilled in connection with recent arms hauls from the house of Kushtia town unit AL Mahila League secretary Taslima Khan Ankhi. Police suspect that the arms supplied by Ankhi was used in killing AL leader Jamil Hasan Bachchu. A police official said that a few AL leaders in Kumarhali upazila were involved in Bachchu killing. They hired outlawed GMF cadres for Tk 30 lakh to kill Bachchu, he said. “More information about the areas and nature of crimes of the outfit is expected to come out soon," said assistant police superintendent (ASP-Sadar circle) C A Halim. Outlaw Rahin and Masud were arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Kushtia police on Wednesday while Johny and Abu on Friday and Karibul and Mizanur on Saturday. Police said the arrests on Friday and Saturday followed the confessional statements of Raihan and Mausd. Police quizzed them after judicial magistrate's court of Kushtia placed them on a two-day remand on Thursday. They also gave deposition in the court under 164 where they admitted to have hands in killing Kumarkhali upazila AL joint secretary, also chairman of Kaya union parishad Jamil Hasan Bachchu, on July 25. They also disclosed during the interrogation names of at least 25 cadres of the outfit who took part in the killing mission, police said.