Khulna police arrest 29 suspects in ongoing crackdown on organized crime and narcotics
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Khulna Metropolitan Police have arrested 29 individuals in an ongoing crackdown against organized crime, extortion, and narcotics trafficking. The operation, which took place between Friday evening and Saturday morning across various city precincts, brings the total number of arrests to 494 over the past 10 days.
According to a press statement released by the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), the coordinated effort involved officers from local police stations and the Detective Branch. The latest sweep saw arrests distributed across eight police stations, including significant detentions in the Khulna Sadar, Sonadanga, and Khalishpur areas.
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Among those taken into custody are several high-profile figures, including Mahmudun Rahman Chowdhury Jony, the brother of notorious gang leader “Grenade Babu,” and his close associate Roni Sheikh, also known as Kaba. Police also apprehended a listed criminal named Emon, who was operating under the jurisdiction of the Harintana police.
Authorities have identified Roni Sheikh as a long-time operative in the city’s criminal underworld, noting that he currently faces charges involving two murders and an attempted murder. He was arrested by Sonadanga police in the Sheikhpara neighborhood.
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Mahmudun Rahman Chowdhury Jony was apprehended Friday evening near Shamsur Rahman Road. Investigators have linked him to the March 4 murder of Masum Billah, the former convener of the Rupsha Upazila Labor Party, who was shot and hacked to death in a crowded area near the Dakbangla landmark. Police confirmed that legal proceedings are underway to present Chowdhury before the court in connection with that homicide. Chowdhury had previously faced public controversy for allegedly orchestrating the takeover of the Khulna Customs Agents Association building last November, during which he reportedly installed himself as the general secretary despite not being a member.
The heightened security measures come as Khulna grapples with a surge in violent crime, which residents attribute to a period of diminished police oversight. Intelligence reports suggest that at least nine major criminal syndicates are currently active in the region, with the “B-Company,” led by the fugitive Grenade Babu, remaining the primary target of law enforcement operations.
Data from the police indicates that 17 murders occurred in Khulna between January and June of this year. Furthermore, authorities have linked various criminal groups to 34 separate homicides reported in the aftermath of recent political upheavals. Investigators suggest that the majority of these incidents stem from turf wars over the control of illegal drug and arms trades, as well as systemic extortion and long-standing factional grievances.
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