Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel arrested one of the aides of Saidur Rahman Shahid alias ‘Shahid Commissioner’, the independent candidate in national parliament election for Dhaka-6 constituency.
Fazle Rabbi, operation officer of Rab-10, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Acting on a tip-off, a team of Rab-10 personnel conducted a raid at the Gendaria residence of Saidur Rahman Shahid and arrested one Hafizur Rahman, 50, with an illegal firearm at around 11:00am.”
“Two more licensed firearms were also found in his possession”, he said adding: “The lawmaker candidate Saidur Rahman, however, was not found.”
Replying to a query, Rabi said detained Hafizur Rahman, who claimed him to be a businessman, is a close friend of Saidur Rahman Sahid and used to use the same address of Shahid.
According to Rab, police and local sources, the dreaded criminal who has been awarded with death penalty for murder, had collected nomination paper from the ruling Awami League seeking its ticket for contesting in the national parliament election in Dhaka-6 constituency.
But the AL had nominated another Mizanur Rahman Dipu, who died of a cardiac attack last week, while Jatiya Party leader Kazi Firoj Rashid is also a candidate from the Dhaka-6 seat.
Saidur Rahman Shahid, who was a councilor of Ward-38 at Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), went into hiding since he was freed on bail from Faridpur jail.
He was sentenced to death on May 29 in 2003 on charge of shooting to dead advocate Habibur Rahman Mandal at Chandra Mohan Basak Lane at Banogram in old Dhakaon on August 20, 2000.
Commissioner Shahid is also accused in the killing of Ward No 90 commissioner Shahadat Hossain Sikder on September 29 in 2003 and Juba Dal leader Sujan murder in Sutrapur on May 4, 1999.
Besides, top listed terrors Kala Jahangir, Dakat Shahid, and Pichchi Hannan, who was killed in Rab crossfire, and a number of listed criminals are the co-accused of the Shahid in various cases.
