Ctg shooting: Wounded believes criminal Sarwar was the target

Assailants “targeting” notorious criminal Sarwar Hossain Babla shot at a private car carrying six passengers in Chattogram, according to one of those injured in a Chattogram shooting.

The attackers killed two people and wounded two others after chasing down a car in broad daylight at Chawkbazar’s Chandanpura early on Sunday morning.

The family of the dead also suspect that followers of Chhoto Sajjad, a recently arrested criminal, carried out the attack targeting Sarwar, who is a listed criminal according to police.

The dead were identified as Bakhteyar Hossain Manik and Md Abdullah, both between 30 and 36 years of age. The injured were identified by single names -- Robin and Hridoy.

Six passengers were in the car, with Manik in the driver’s seat and Sarwar sitting beside him, Robin later said.

“Sometime after getting out of Balur Mahal using the the Shah Amanat Bridge, several motorcyclists started shooting at us. Although we were supposed to head for Bahaddarhat, we instead took the Bakalia Access Road to save our lives. Abdullah was shot in the car,” he said.

Robin said they had stopped to get police assistance but the shooters wearing helmets began raining bullets down on them. He was eventually shot in the leg.

Robin also believes Sarwar may have played a role in the arrest of Sajjad, prompting Sajjad’s followers to try and kill him. Sajjad’s men were already waiting for Sarwar and his men at the Balur Mahal, he said.

Abdullah, allegedly a long-time follower of Sarwar, was previously shot in the leg by Sajjad’s men in an attempt to “save Sarwar” several months ago, according to his mother Rasheda Begum.

She said, “Since being shot, my son had been at home from before Ramadan and never went out. He left home on Saturday and ended up dead.”

His wife Priya Moni said the bullet-ridden car belonged to Abdullah and Manik used to drive it.

Priya said Abdullah and Manik left home around 7am on Saturday, mentioning that they would return in the evening.

“He called us in the evening after Iftar and asked us to bring some money. I went to New Market with my mother-in-law along with Tk 130,000.

“He picked up the money around 10am and told us to return home around 12am. When I called him around 1:30am, he told me that he was with Sarwar Bhai.”

Priya claimed that he had seen Abdullah on a sand pile on a video call around 1:30am and that Sarwar was also with him.

Sarwar is known for being a suspect in the shooting and the killing of eight Chhatra League leaders and an accomplice of Sajjad, an “infamous” Islami Chhatra Shibir leader.

Conflicts arose between the two and their paths diverged, as Boro Sajjad began taking care of Choto Sajjad, also known as Burir Natir Sajjad. He is now known to be a BNP activist.

On Sunday, Chawkbazar Police Station chief Zahidul Kabir said assailants gave chase to a car carrying the victims from Baklia Rajakhali Bridge and shot them on the Chandanpura-Baklia Access Road.

A rickshaw driver who witnessed the incident told bdnews24.com that the attackers chased down the car, with the licence plate Chattometro Ga 12-9068, from Baklia to Chandanpura on motorcycles. They ordered the car to stop at the entrance of the access road and shot the victims.

Gunshots were fired from the rear and both sides of the car, he said.

The witness said the victims in the car cried for help.

Another rickshaw driver said a police vehicle was parked at the entrance of the access road, but it left after the gunshots were fired.

The car left at the scene had bullet marks on the back and blood on the driver’s seat and the back seats.

Officer Zahidul said police would look into whether the incident was a retaliation for assisting in Sajjad’s arrest.