Locals in Barisal city have recovered approximately Tk7 lakh and a mobile phone, which were reportedly looted from the residence of Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, a former mayor of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) and the General Secretary of Metropolitan Awami League.
The recovered items were found at the home of Jamal Khan, an Awami League (AL) activist and fruit trader residing in the Palashpur area, ward no 7 of the city.
Following the recovery, the cash and mobile phone, worth Tk34,000, were handed over to Kawnia police station.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Asaduzzaman Asad confirmed the recovery on Saturday, and said that legal action is being taken in this regard.
The incident traces back to August 5, when the residence of Sadiq Abdullah was attacked, vandalized, looted, and set on fire following political unrest in the area.
Jamal Khan, who was frequently seen visiting Abdullah's residence, was seen with a large amount of cash shortly after the incident.
Jamal’s father, Qayyum Khan, said his son had brought the money home and fled after locals raided his house. He admitted to being unaware of the exact amount looted by his son.
Local resident Rajib Sardar said that Jamal’s behavior had changed after the August 5 incident. "Two days later, Jamal was seen counting a lot of money by his relatives.”
The local community, suspecting Jamal’s involvement in the looting, conducted a search of his residence, leading to the recovery of the cash and mobile phone.
Till the filing of this report around 6pm on Saturday, Jamal Khan remains at large.
