Abu Mokarram, 44, was arrested by members of Special Response Battalion-11 (SRB-11) during a special operation near the Meghna Toll Plaza in Sonargaon upazila at around 8pm on Tuesday, 3 November.
The arrest was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 4 November, at a press conference held at the SRB-11 battalion headquarters in Narayanganj. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Masud Parvez, commanding officer of the battalion, briefed journalists on the operation and the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Mokarram is the son of Abu Taleb and comes from the Sardar Bari area of North Borkal in Chandanaish upazila, Chattogram.
According to the case records and information provided by SRB-11, Mokarram was the principal accused in a murder case arising from a family dispute. He and several other defendants were accused of killing his sister’s husband’s aunt by marriage before leaving her body in a paddy field beside a house.
A murder case was subsequently filed at Chandanaish Police Station in Chattogram, naming Mokarram as the number one accused.
After a lengthy judicial process, his direct involvement in the killing was established in court. On 19 May 2013, the Third Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court in Chattogram sentenced him to death.
Following the verdict, Mokarram was held at Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur from 9 July 2013. He remained there until a major disturbance at the prison in August 2024 created an opportunity for his escape.
Escape amid prison violence
At Wednesday’s press conference, SRB-11 officials said the escape took place on the morning of 6 August 2024, a day after the country’s political upheaval on 5 August.
According to the battalion, groups of inmates at Kashimpur prison became involved in violent unrest and set parts of the facility on fire. During the disturbance, prison guards were taken hostage, while inmates reportedly broke electrical poles inside the premises and used the materials to construct makeshift ladders.
They then used the improvised equipment to climb over the prison’s high perimeter wall. A large number of prisoners managed to flee during the incident, including Mokarram, who was serving a death sentence for murder.
His escape placed him beyond the reach of prison authorities and law enforcement agencies, prompting efforts to trace his whereabouts.
Two years in hiding ends in Narayanganj
Following his escape, Mokarram reportedly moved between different locations across the country and adopted various disguises to avoid detection. He remained at large for nearly two years, despite efforts by law enforcement agencies to locate him.
SRB-11 said its intelligence team eventually received confidential information about his whereabouts. Officers then conducted close surveillance and used modern information technology to establish his location.
The intelligence operation led investigators to the Meghna Toll Plaza area in Sonargaon, where an SRB-11 team launched a special operation on Tuesday evening and arrested him at around 8pm.
The arrest marks the end of a lengthy period in which a death-row prisoner remained at large after escaping from one of the country’s high-security correctional facilities.
Following his arrest, arrangements were under way to hand Mokarram over to the relevant police station for further legal proceedings.
His case also draws attention to the security challenges faced by prison authorities during major disturbances, particularly when inmates escape from high-security facilities. The authorities will now proceed with the necessary legal formalities following his recapture.
