The Rapid Action Battalion arrested six members of Sahadat Bahini from the capital’s Mirpur area while they were collecting extortion from a shop.
Sentu Mia Prokash alias Sentu, 24, Milon alias Shooter Suman, 24, Yameen Sarkar alias Monty, 27, Babu Ahmed, 36, Masud Rana, 27, and SM Solaiman Quader alias Pavel, 23, were arrested when they went to a shop “Lakhmipur Banijyalay” located at Mirpur 11 around 9pm on Monday night, said Commanding Officer of RAB 4 and also Additional Deputy Inspector General Khandakar Lutful Kabir in a press briefing.
But their another accomplice Mamun managed to flee from the spot, said the additional DIG, adding that they had been demanding Tk10,00,000 from the owners of the shop, Rafiqul Islam and his brother Ismail Hossain for long.
Earlier, they realised Tk50,000 from them at gun point on August 22. Later, the brothers informed RAB 4 about the matter.
When the gang entered the shop, the brothers informed the elite force about the incident. Being informed by them, RAB personnel went there and arrested the six.
During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to killing medicine trader Jahedul Islam Rasel. They said they had killed Rasel at night on June 10 as he refused to pay extortion.
They also told the law enforcers that they were the members of Shahadat Bahini.
Shahadat is accused of 24 cases, including murder and extortion.
In March this year, a Dhaka court sentenced Shahadat to death in absentia for killing Awami League leader Manir Uddin Manu.
According to media reports, Shahadat has been living in India for long. But, he is still operating criminal activities by his accomplices in Mirpur.
There was also a rumour that Shahadat was arrested in Kolkata in 2012 with two AK-47 assault rifles, but neither the Bangladesh police nor Indian law enforcers confirmed it then.