Another accused in Shahinuddin murder case has been killed in a reported gunfight with Detective Branch (DB) of police in Dhaka.
The reported gunfight took place in Pallabi's Sagufta Housing area early Sunday, just two days after Md Manik, the fifth accused in the case, was killed in another “gunfight” with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Mirpur area.
The deceased is Md Monir, who the law enforcement agencies were hunting for, said Md Ahsan Khan, additional deputy commissioner at DB (Mirpur Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
“Monir went into hiding in Lakshmipur after killing Shahinuddin. Based on intelligence reports, soon after he reached Dhaka, we conducted raids to arrest him around 8:50pm on Sunday from the Bayish Tola area of E Block in Sagufta Housing at Pallabi.
During interrogation, he told us that the other members of the gang - who are professional killers - are staying in Block G,” the DB ADC told Dhaka Tribune.
Also Read - Shahinuddin murder accused killed in Dhaka 'gunfight'
Ahsan claimed: “We went there to arrest them but the criminals suddenly opened fire. Caught in the line of fire between the criminals and law enforcers, Monir sustained bullet injuries around 2:15am and died on the spot.”
Pallabi police station Sub-Inspector Bulbul said the body was sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue for autopsy.
Monir and Manik were seen in the CCTV footage hacking the 33-year-old businessman Shahinuddin to death in broad daylight at Pallabi area, recently, in front of his child.
Earlier, RAB arrested prime accused MA Awal, former lawmaker from Lakshmipur 1 constituency, in Bhairab of Kishoreganj on Thursday. He was later taken into remand for four days on Friday.
Also Read - Ex-MP Awal, 2 others remanded over Pallabi murder
Also the chairman of Islami Ganatantrik Party, Awal became an MP during 2014-18 when he was the secretary general of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation.
Law enforcement agencies have so far apprehended seven out of the 20 named accused in the case, claimed DB ADC Md Ahsan Khan. However, with the new three arrestees who have been placed on four-day remand, the number of arrestees raised to 10, according to the names published in media following announcement by police.
The newly remanded three accused are Mohammad Titu, 30, Iqbal Noor, 21, and Mohammad Sharif, 20.
Operations have been going on to catch the other perpetrators, police said.
Also Read - Detectives, RAB on the hunt for Pallabi murder accused
On May 16, the accused called Shahinuddin on his phone and asked him to come to Mirpur 12 under the pretext of resolving a land dispute.
When Shahinuddin reached the area around 4pm that day, some assailants attacked him, hacking him to death with sharp weapons in front of his seven-year-old son.
Footage of the murder was leaked on social media platforms, leading to widespread outrage.
The victim's mother, Aklima Begum, filed a murder case with Pallabi police on May 17.
Awal, managing director of Haveli Property Development Limited, hired a group of miscreants to kill Shahuddin over a land dispute, according to the case document.
