Driver killed, auto-rickshaw stolen in Narayanganj; two arrested

Police have arrested two people in connection with the killing of a 20-year-old auto-rickshaw driver in Narayanganj’s Araihazar and recovered the stolen vehicle and the victim’s mobile phone, according to the Police Bureau of Investigation.

The development was announced at a press conference at the PBI’s Narayanganj district office on Sunday, 9 August.

The victim, Wali Ullah, went out to drive a battery-powered auto-rickshaw, locally known as a mishuk, on 5 July in place of his ailing father. He subsequently went missing. When his family found that his mobile phone had been switched off, they filed a general diary at Sonargaon Police Station on 6 July.

On the same day, Wali Ullah’s body was recovered from an isolated area in Groupdi village under Uchitpura Union of Araihazar. Police found marks of injuries caused by a sharp weapon on his body.

Following the recovery, Wali Ullah’s father, Harun Rashid, filed a murder case against five to six unidentified people.

The PBI launched an investigation using information technology, closed-circuit television footage, intelligence gathered from different sources and analysis of the routes believed to have been used by the suspects. Investigators subsequently arrested Awlad Hossain, 26, and Shahin, 31, from Sonargaon on 2 August.

Based on information obtained during interrogation, investigators recovered Wali Ullah’s Samsung mobile phone and a Banglalink SIM card from Shahin’s house on 6 August. The stolen auto-rickshaw was recovered the following day from the Bhoberchar area of Gazaria in Munshiganj.

According to the PBI, the two arrested suspects were part of an organised group of four to five people. The group allegedly hired the mishuk from the Bardi auto stand and travelled towards Sultan Shadi Bazar in Araihazar.

On their return journey, the group allegedly took Wali Ullah to an isolated location in Groupdi village, where he was stabbed. The suspects then fled with the auto-rickshaw and the victim’s mobile phone.

Investigators said the stolen vehicle was later sold in the Bhoberchar area. The recovery of the vehicle is expected to provide further evidence for the ongoing investigation into the alleged robbery and killing.

After completing a five-day remand, the accused were produced before a court on 8 August. PBI officials said Shahin voluntarily gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, admitting his involvement in the killing.

Narayanganj PBI Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Rashid, BPM, said investigators had unravelled the main mystery behind the killing through technological evidence, CCTV footage, intelligence information and sustained investigative efforts.

He said efforts were continuing to identify and arrest the other members of the alleged group. The investigation also remains ongoing, with investigators examining the circumstances surrounding the killing, the theft of the vehicle and its subsequent sale.

The case highlights the risks faced by informal transport workers who often operate alone and travel along relatively isolated roads, particularly when hired for journeys outside their usual routes. Police are continuing to gather evidence to establish the full sequence of events and determine the roles of all those allegedly involved.