Shooter assigned to kill Tipu five days back: DB

Detectives arrested a man, who allegedly shot dead two persons, including former general secretary of Motijheel Awami League Jahidul Islam Tipu in Dhaka’s Shahjahanpur on Thursday (March 24).

Masum Mohammad alias Akash was arrested from Bogura as he was attempted to flee the country, said AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Masum and his associates attempted to kill Tipu near his AGB Colony office on Wednesday too, he said.

The DB official said the shooter is a contract killer who was assigned to kill someone five days back. But three days ago, he came to know that his target name was Tipu.

In primary interrogation, Masum admitted that he shot Tipu and the college girl, Samia Afran Jamal Prity, to death, Hafiz said.

On Thursday (March 24), Tipu (55) was returning home at Khilgaon Bagichha by his microbus from the restaurant. As the vehicle got stuck in a traffic jam, unidentified assailants fired shots at it, leaving Tipu dead.

Rickshaw passenger Prity who was passing the area also died being hit by bullet.

The DB official said they are trying to arrest his other associates.

According to detectives, Masum is graduated from a university in Graphic Design and his father is a schoolteacher. Masum is an accused in another murder case.

Asked about the motive, the DB official said they have arrested the "shooter" and will brief about the motive later.