Death in gunfight: 'Mahadi victim of political conflict'

The killing of Mahadi in a gunfight with police was a “staged drama” performed by lawmen, claimed a member of the deceased’s family.   Police on Friday claimed that Mohammad Mahadi, 35, allegedly a most wanted criminal, was killed in a “gunfight” between his gang and law enforcers.    Omar Faruk Bappi, younger brother of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “My brother was killed over political conflicts, not because he was a terrorist. High profile people instructed police to kill him.”    Bappi claimed that police, after killing him, dumped his body in the capital’s Mirpur area.   Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of police of Mirpur division, said Mahadi was accused in 18 different cases.   He was brought to the capital on Friday morning after being arrested from Barisal, the DC said.  Later, after extracting information out of him, when police raided his secret den to arrest his associates,   Mahadi’s followers opened fire on police.    Handcuffed Mahadi, who tried to escape amid the gunfight, received bullet wounds and was admitted to the DMCH, Imtiaz said.    Mahadi and his gang members were allegedly involved in the killing of a garment businessman Fazlur Rahman Babu, who refused to pay the extortion money that the gang demanded.    DC Imtiaz, however, said they would investigate to know whether Mahadi was killed with police bullets. Mahadi, the eldest son of his family, started working for local Jubo   League leader Maksudul Alam Masud since he was 14. He first went to jail in a snatching case when he was 15 years old.   Mahadi’s brother Bappi, president of a local unit of Chhatra League in Mirpur, said police followed Masud’s orders to kill his brother.    Bappi said Mahadi got engaged in a dispute since he got into Jubo League in 2008 and had been arrested several times since then upon Masud’s order.    Bappi also said Mahadi and one of their uncles jointly owned the Shiraj Fashion Garments in Mirpur area.    Mahadi and Masud got locked in several clashes in the area over establishing supremacy in garment business. Last year, Mahadi barely survived an attack by Masud’s followers.    At the time police refused to take a case when Mahadi went to them, Bappi said.    Salauddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Mirpur police station, however, said Mahadi was a top criminal of Mirpur area who was arrested from Sarupkhati area of Barisal on a tip off.