Police in Chattogram have arrested Mobarak, a man described by law enforcement as a notorious criminal operating in the Fatikchhari and Raozan areas, following an overnight raid in which he allegedly opened fire on officers using a firearm that had previously been looted from a police station.
According to police, Mobarak is also known as a close associate of imprisoned criminal David Imon. He has been accused of involvement in several criminal cases, including the killing of Jubo Dal leader Masud in Raozan.
Police said Mobarak had been hiding for an extended period in a remote hilly area of Fatikchhari. Several attempts had reportedly been made to locate and arrest him, but the operations were unsuccessful because of the difficult terrain and his ability to move between secluded locations.
As police activity in the hills increased, Mobarak allegedly left his previous hideout and sought shelter at the home of an acquaintance in Shahnagar area of Lelang Union in Fatikchhari.
Acting on confidential information, police surrounded the house late on Tuesday night. By around 3am, members of the law enforcement team had taken positions around the building. The main entrance was secured with an iron door. Officers repeatedly asked those inside to open it, but received no response.
In the presence of local residents, police eventually broke open the door at around 4.30am and entered the house.
Once inside, officers searched the premises and discovered three associates of Mobarak hiding above a false ceiling over a bathroom. They were identified as Mohammad Raihan, Mohammad Farid and Mohammad Nasir.
Police said three pistols, 23 rounds of pistol ammunition and four shotgun cartridges were recovered from them.
The search then led officers to another false ceiling above a bathroom in one of the rooms, where Mobarak was allegedly hiding. Police said he opened fire as soon as members of the operation entered the room.
According to officers involved in the raid, Mobarak fired six consecutive shots at the police. The officers responded with gunfire. One of the bullets reportedly passed close to the ear of Chattogram Additional Superintendent of Police Kazi Mohammad Tarek Aziz.
Five members of the police team were injured during the exchange of fire.
Police said Mobarak attempted to fire a seventh shot, but his firearm became jammed. Officers then took advantage of the situation, brought him down from the false ceiling and arrested him.
The firearm recovered from Mobarak was subsequently examined. Police said it was identified as one of the weapons looted from Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram city on 5 August 2024.
The five injured police personnel were identified as Additional Superintendent of Police Kazi Mohammad Tarek Aziz, Fatikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Robiul Alam Khan, police constable Mamunur Rashid, who serves as the additional superintendent’s bodyguard, and Fatikchhari police personnel Shah Newaz and Saddam Hossain. They received initial medical treatment following the incident.
Following Mobarak’s arrest, Chattogram district police launched further operations in different parts of Fatikchhari and Raozan to recover additional firearms. Police said the accused had allegedly used the remote hilly terrain as a place to hide for a considerable period, making efforts to arrest him particularly difficult.
Police also claimed that during preliminary questioning, Mobarak admitted involvement in several killings, including the murder of Jubo Dal leader Masud in Raozan. The allegations, however, remain subject to judicial proceedings, and their final legal determination will depend on evidence presented before the court.
Kazi Mohammad Tarek Aziz, who led the operation, said separate cases had been filed over the looted firearm and the alleged attack on police. Mobarak was produced before the court, where police sought custody for questioning. The court subsequently granted four days’ custody in each of the two cases, totalling eight days.
The arrest has drawn attention to the continuing efforts by law enforcement agencies to recover firearms looted during the unrest of August 2024. Police have been conducting searches in Fatikchhari and surrounding areas as part of those efforts.
Local residents said Mobarak’s arrest has brought a sense of relief to parts of Fatikchhari and Raozan, where he had allegedly been associated with extortion and other criminal activities. His reported use of remote areas as hideouts had also added to concerns among residents in the affected communities.
