Five police officers, including a vehicle driver, have been temporarily suspended following the escape of a notorious criminal with 25 pending cases from a prison van in Gazipur. The fugitive, identified as Raja—famously known by his alias “Picchi Raja”—managed to slip away from law enforcement while being transported from a court in Dhaka back to Kashimpur Central Jail.
The Acting Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP), Mohammad Taherul Huq Chauhan, confirmed the suspensions on Monday morning. He stated that the action was taken due to grave negligence of duty. In addition to the suspensions, a five-member investigation committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters), has been formed to probe the security breach. Further departmental action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry report.
Prison and police sources confirmed that the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon. Picchi Raja had been transported to Dhaka in the morning to appear before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court. Following the judicial proceedings, he was being escorted back to Kashimpur Central Jail-1 in a prison van.
Upon reaching the Naojor area in Gazipur, the accused requested a stop under the pretext of using a toilet. The escorting officers halted the prison van and allowed him access to a local lavatory, where he cleverly exploited the situation and made his escape. Senior Jail Super of Kashimpur Central Jail-1, Md. Nazrul Islam, confirmed that the inmate managed to flee from police custody during this unscheduled stop.
Picchi Raja is recognised by law enforcement as a top drug kingpin operating primarily in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area. His criminal record includes approximately 25 legal cases involving illicit firearms and narcotics trafficking. On 19 May, Mohammadpur Police arrested him at Shahjalal International Airport alongside his wife and brother-in-law as he attempted to return from Nepal. Law enforcement agencies have launched intensive drives across the region to locate and rearrest the fugitive.
