Outlaws now find abode in Padma-Jamuna shoals
At least 1000 PBCP men move in the guise of fishermen, boatmen or hawkers
Outlaws belonging to Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) have taken shelter in shoal areas of Shivalaya and Daulatpur upazilas in Manikganj, Goalunda upazila in Rajbari and Bera upazila in Pabna district.
Around 1000 PBCP members including their 'regional leader' are staying in the areas and have established a big network. Their 'regional leader' Abdus Samad Khan alias Samad Member for Faridpur, Kushtia and Rajbari districts leads the network in the areas, sources said.
Notorious outlaw Samad Member is a fugitive carrying death sentence for murder. He killed Subodh Chandra Laskar, a businessman of Raipur village in Modhukhali upazila in Faridpur district in 1996.
He also allegedly killed his accomplice Mojai member in 2001. The sources claimed that Samad Member and his gang still collect toll from people including traders and rich farmers in Rajbari, Faridpur and Kushtia districts.
Locals claimed that Samad Member has taken shelter at Khasher Char (shoal) in Shivalaya upazila. A powerful Union Parisad chairman in Shivalaya is backing him, they claimed.
Samad, 45, son of Geda Kha of Nabagram village under Pachuria police station in Rajbari, is known as a notorious terrorist in Faridpur, Kushtia and Rajbari districts. He established a big network of outlaws and criminals with the help of his nephew Abu Bakr Khan, sisters-in-law Abul Kashem of Surjonagar in Rajbari and Abul Kashem of Meherpur. All are known as toll collectors and killers in their areas, intelligence sources said.
Abu Bakr Khan is now in Rajbari jail in a case for murdering a local Union Parishad chairman, the sources added.
When contacted, Manikganj Police Superintendent Imtiaz Ahmed said police are aware of outlaws in shoals in Jamuna and are conducting raids in different areas to nab them. “We are determined to crush their network”, he said.
On September 16, three PBCP men were killed and five others injured in a shootout with police at Charavanga on the Jamuna river in Manikganj district. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter. Some firearms were recovered in the operation.
The shootout took place as police raided their den when about 17 outlaws were preparing for dacoity.
During interrogation, the arrested outlaws had admitted being members of PBCP and disclosed information on their network in the three Jamauna basin districts, the police superintendent said.
On September 30, six outlaws were arrested by a joint police team from Gheor and Daulatpur police station. They were arrested from a boat on Dheleswari river when they were returning after piracy on the Jamuna. Police also recovered some firearms from their possession.
It was gathered that at least 100 outlaws are in Aricha ghat area in the guise of boatmen, fishermen or hawkers. A similar number of outlaws are in Paturia ferry terminal and another 200 in shoal areas of Shivalaya and Daulatpur upazilas in Manikganj.
The sources said at least 200 outlaws are active in Dhopagati and Katakhali in Goalunda upazila in Rajbari.
The outlaws move on engine boats on Padma and Jamuna rivers. They move in the guise of fishermen or boatmen and pretend to be poor innocent men.
Sometimes they also work at farmers' houses as cowboys or day laborers, police said. They also work at hotels and even paddle rickshaws during daytime.
The police superintendent said they have to move cautiously so that any innocent man is not harassed while nabbing outlaws.
Intelligence officials are also in the areas alongside the police drive .
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