Juba League leader Babar nabbed in Dhaka

CHITTAGONG, June 26: Police nabbed Juba League central committee member Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar (40) and his five accomplices from Gulshan in Dhaka early Wednesday for a recent shootout in Chittagong Rail Bhaban area over a tender bid that led to two deaths.

One of the victim was a minor caught in a crossfire between the rival gangs.

Police said Babar was nabbed in a joint raid by personnel from Chittagong Kotwali and Dhaka Metropolitan Police from a house in capital’s posh Gulshan area after Tuesday midnight.

Chittagong Kotwali Police Station OC AKM Mahiuddin Selim said Babar was in hiding at a residence at Gulshan area. A team of policemen along with Babar is heading towards Chittagong in the morning, he said.

Five others who were arrested with Babar are Premasis Mutsuddi alias Choton Barua, Shah Alam, Polash Das, Robi Dey and Mazharul Islam. Of them, Shah Alam is the bodyguard of the mastermind Babar, said Banaj Kumar Mazumder (Crimes and Operations) of CMP.

The ruling party`s youth leader will be taken to Chittagong by the afternoon, police said.

Factions of Juba League and Chhatra League, both affiliates of ruling Awami League, were engaged in a shootout over a Tk 4.8 million Feni Railway Station renovation tender in the port city of Chittagong on Monday.

An eight-year old minor Arman and another Juba League supporter Saju Palit died after they were hit by bullets at the spot of the encounter.

Police later nabbed 52 people, including Chhatra League central committee Assistant Secretary Saiful Alam Liman, Chittagong University Chhatra League Organising Secretary Alamgir Tipu, Cultural Secretary Jamir Uddin, Commerce College Chhatra League Vice President Hashmat Ali, in raids at Chittagong after the shootout.

Those nabbed had gone to bid for `Royal Associates", a contracting firm owned by Juba League leader Didarul Alam, when they got into a gunbattle with supporters of Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar, who was also competing for the bid.

Police filed a case of riot and murder against 127 people. Babar is the 53rd accused in the case. 21 of those already nabbed were Babar’s supporters.

On Tuesday, the 52 arrested were taken to court from Kotwali Police Station in a prison van.

The court witnessed uproarious scenese with Didarul’s supporters raising slogans for Babar`s execution.

Eight of those nabbed were children. The court quashed a remand petition on them and sent them to jail.