Two alleged shooters involved in the murder of Jubo Dal leader Golam Kibria in Pallabi area of Mirpur in the capital have been arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
They were arrested early Friday during separate drives conducted by RAB-4 in the Eastern Housing area under Rupnagar Police Station in Mirpur and the Diabari area of Sector 18 in Uttara.
At that time, foreign-made revolver and three rounds of bullets were recovered from their possession.
The arrestees were identified as Md Rashed, alias Lopan, 35, and Md Jahangir Hossain, alias Kallu, 40.
Additional Superintendent of Police and company commander of RAB-4 Md Shahabuddin Kabir came up with the disclosure at a press briefing held at the RAB-4 headquarters in Paikpara, Mirpur.
According to RAB officials, Kibria was an emerging leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and was considered a potential candidate for a key position in the Pallabi thana unit of the party. Investigators suspect that the killing stemmed from disputes over control of several local businesses, including jute trading and housing.
Preliminary investigation suggests that six to seven individuals took part in the murder, playing different roles such as conducting surveillance on the victim, carrying out the shooting and assisting the attackers in fleeing the scene.
RAB also said that another suspect, identified as “Jony”, had earlier been arrested in connection with the case.
Prior to the latest arrests, police had also detained two other suspects, case-listed accused Md Monir Hossain, alias Sohel (Pata Sohel), and Sujon, alias Bukpora Sujon, who is also accused in multiple criminal cases.
RAB officials have revealed that analysis of the arrested suspects’ mobile phones shows evidence of communication with top gangster Moshiur Rahman Moshi.
Investigators believe Kibria was killed on Moshi’s orders after he obstructed control over local jute and housing businesses.
During preliminary questioning, the suspects admitted that the murder was carried out over political rivalry and disputes over dominance in the area. They also confirmed that it was a premeditated killing involving a significant financial transaction.
RAB further stated that the shooters had been on the run since the incident. Later, based on confidential intelligence, authorities learned that they were preparing to leave the country. Their locations were tracked, and the suspects were arrested during coordinated operations.
Golam Kibria was the secretary of the Pallabi Thana Jubo Dal and was also involved in the business of supplying medical equipment.
The murder occurred on the evening of November 17 last year, when masked assailants entered a hardware shop in Block B of Mirpur-12 and shot Kibria at close range. An auto-rickshaw driver was also shot and injured. The assailants managed to flee the scene.
Following the incident, Kibria’s wife Sabiha Akter Dina filed a murder case with Pallabi Police Station.
The case named five individuals as accused, with another seven to eight unidentified suspects also listed.
