[Bangla Daily Star] Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday in separate drives nabbed three Shibir cadres from Chittagong and Brahmanbaria, and recovered five firearms including an AK-47 rifle from them.The arrestees, identified as Nurunnabi alias Maxon, 28, Sarwar alias Babla, 24, and Manik alias Gittu Manik, 24, however, said they are not Shibir cadres.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
They all hail from Chittagong and have several cases filed against them with different cop shoppes of the port city, said police sources.
"We are but simple hunters of game to feed our families!"
Acting on a tip-off, a team of CMP led by Assistant Commissioner Abdul Mannan early yesterday raided Singer Beel of Brahmanbaria and nabbed Maxon.
Upon information extracted from Maxon, the team conducted another drive at Chalitatala under Bayezid Police Station in the port city and held the two others.
Five firearms-- an AK-47 rifle, an automatic pistol, a one-shooter gun, a locally-made rifle and a light gun-- were recovered from the two, said police.
AC Abdul Mannan told The Daily Star that the arrestees work for runaway Islami Chhatra Shibir
... the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh...
cadre Sazzad Khan who was given a death sentence by a Chittagong court in a sensational eight-murder case.
The trio used to threaten local businessmen and realise extortion from them in the name of Sazzad Khan, he said. They also asked an official of CMP over the cell-phone to leave Chittagong and told him that he will be killed otherwise.
Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Tex and his new-found Indian friend were preparing a little surprise for the bandidos...
CMP yesterday noon organised a presser at its headquarters at Laldighir Par where the arrestees were present.
The arrestees admitted to owning the firearms and told journalists that Shibir cadre Sazzad Khan gave them the firearms before he decamped the country.
Sarwar and Maxon said they have recently taken shelter at the house of a local Awami League leader in Feni to escape frequent police drives in Chittagong.
Additional Commissioner Shafikur Rahman at the presser said police will look into the allegation against the AL leader.
"We have information that the arrestees possess another AK-47 rifle," he said adding that they will be produced before a Chittagong court with a 10-day remand prayer for each.