Tk 20 lakh rewards announced for arrest of fugitive militants

Bangladesh police announced Tk 20 lakh for information leading to the arrest of two fugitive convicts of banned militant organisation Ansar Al Islam.

AIG of media, Police Headquarters, Md Manzur Rahman told UNB that a total of Tk 20 lakh as prize money has been announced from police for assisting in catching the militants who fled court premises.

The escapees are Md Abu Siddique Sohel alias Sakib alias Sajid alias Shahab and Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Samir alias Sifat alias Imran, said Harun or-Rashid, Chief of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

“The convicts sprayed something on the eyes of two policemen and escaped while they were being taken to the court. We’re searching for them in the nearby areas. This is the first time something like this has happened in the country,” said Harun.

Publisher Dipan, son of Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq of Dhaka University, was hacked to death in his office on the second floor of Aziz Supermarket at Shahbagh in the city on October 31, 2015.

A case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station the following day and later the case was transferred to Detective Branch. Police on November 15, 2019, pressed charges against the eight Ansar-Al-Islam men in the case. On February 10, 2021, Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Tribunal sentenced eight militants to death.

The six other death-row convicts in the case are Md Abdus Sabur alias Abdus Samad alias Sujan alias Raju alias Sad, Khairul Islam alias Jamil alias Rifat alias Fahim alias Jisan, Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon alias Shashriar, Md Sheikh Abdullah alias Jubayer alias Jayed alias Javed, Syed Ziaul Hoque, a suspended major of Bangladesh Army who is known as Sagar alias Ishtiaq alias Borobhai, and Akram Hossain alias Hasib alias Abir alias Adnan alias Abdullah.

Among the convicts, Sayed Ziaul Hoque and Akram Hossain-- have been absconding since the killing.