Tushar Mondal, 21, the youth who went viral wielding a pistol during a BNP–Jamaat clash in Ishwardi, Pabna, has been arrested by the Pabna District Detective Police (DB).
The district detective police issued a press release on Tuesday (2 December) confirming the arrest. Earlier, he was apprehended on Monday night from the Dhanbandhi area of Sirajganj Sadar Upazila.
The police later recovered the pistol used in the clash along with two rounds of ammunition.
Tushar Mondal is the son of Abu Taher from Velupur in Ishwardi Upazila. Photographs of Tushar with Abu Taleb Mondal, the Jamaat candidate of Pabna-4, circulated on different occasions, leading BNP leaders to claim that Tushar is a Jamaat activist. However, Jamaat has denied the allegation.
According to the press release, a clash occurred on 27 November at Char Gorgori Mor, Ishwardi, between BNP and Jamaat supporters. During the clash, Tushar publicly displayed an illegal firearm, creating panic in the area. Following the incident, both BNP and Jamaat filed separate cases. Tushar had been absconding since then.
The detective police said that after arresting Tushar on Monday night in Dhanbandhi, they recovered the pistol and two rounds of ammunition buried under sand in Velupur, Ishwardi, based on his information.
Rashidul Islam, OC of Pabna District Detective Police, stated that Tushar had been on the run since the clash. After the arrest, the firearm and ammunition displayed during the clash were recovered. Following legal procedures, he has been sent to jail through the court.
Khaborwala/SS
