Gun Attack on Top Criminal Titon Remains Uninvestigated

A suspected underworld assassination of Khondaker Naeem Ahmed Titon, listed among Bangladesh’s most notorious criminals, has raised serious security concerns in Dhaka, as no case had been filed and no arrests made 16 hours after the incident.

According to police officials at the New Market Police Station, confirmed by Sub-Inspector Siam Ahmed at midday on Wednesday, formal legal proceedings had yet to begin. He stated that no suspects were in custody, although preparations for a case were reportedly underway by the victim’s family.

The killing took place on Tuesday evening at around 7:45 pm in front of the Shahnewaz dormitory of Dhaka University, located near the western side of New Market at the Baittala intersection. Eyewitnesses and police accounts suggest that two assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at close range, discharging five to six bullets that struck Titon in the head and multiple parts of his body. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting, reportedly firing additional rounds into the air to spread panic.

Passers-by rushed the critically injured man to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Police have indicated that the murder is likely linked to internal conflicts among top criminal factions. Authorities also confirmed that Titon was the brother-in-law of another prominent underworld figure, Sanjidul Islam Iman, adding weight to suspicions of gang rivalry as a motive.

A senior officer from the Ramna Division, Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam, confirmed late on Tuesday that the identity of the deceased had been verified. He added that investigators were actively working to identify those responsible, although no CCTV footage had been recovered from the immediate crime scene. Efforts are ongoing to collect surveillance data from surrounding areas and to interview witnesses.

Titon’s criminal background spans over three decades. Police records indicate he entered the criminal underworld in the early 1990s, initially operating within local gangs before rising to prominence. He was later implicated in multiple murder cases and allegedly developed a significant arms trafficking network. One of his most serious convictions involved the killing of businessman Babar Elahi, for which he received a death sentence in 2014.

He was previously arrested in 2004 from Dhaka Cantonment and was later released on bail in August 2024. Since his release, intelligence sources suggest he had been operating in hiding.

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The investigation remains at an early stage, with authorities under pressure to identify both the motive and the perpetrators behind the daylight-style execution in one of Dhaka’s busiest commercial areas.