Chittagong Police Apprehend Notorious Hitman Linked to Youth Leader Murder

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Law enforcement authorities in Dhaka have apprehended Mohammad Elias, a notorious gunman linked to an influential criminal syndicate, in connection with the daylight murder of a local political leader in Chittagong. Known by the alias “Dhama Elias,” the suspect is a documented associate of the fugitive underworld figure Sajjad Hossain, commonly referred to as “Choto Sajjad.”

A Chittagong judicial magistrate granted a two-day remand for Elias on Tuesday to facilitate police interrogation regarding the June 13 killing of Masudul Haque Chowdhury, a senior leader of the Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal. Police confirmed that Elias was taken into custody in the capital on Monday and transported to Chittagong under heavy security. The suspect faces 18 active criminal cases, including five counts of murder.

Masudul Haque Chowdhury, who was preparing to contest a local Union Parishad election, was gunned down in the Choumuhani Bazar area of Pahartali Union in Raozan. Investigators believe the motive for the execution-style killing stems from a protracted dispute over the control of sand extraction rights along the Karnafuli River.

CCTV footage captured the brutal nature of the crime, showing the victim being pursued by armed assailants before he was cornered and shot. According to the police report, the attackers, identified as members of the Sajjad gang, displayed a calculated disregard for the public setting, continuing to fire upon the victim even after he had fallen. The footage reveals that the gunmen returned to the scene nearly a minute after the initial volley to ensure the victim was neutralized before fleeing in a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw.

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The murder case, filed by the victim’s brother, Pearul Haque Chowdhury, lists 11 named suspects and eight unidentified individuals. Among the primary accusations, Elias and an associate named Didarul Alam are alleged to have fired the initial shots. The investigation into the incident has been bolstered by clear forensic evidence from the surveillance footage, which captured the faces of several attackers and documented the use of both pistols and shotguns.

The killing of Chowdhury is part of a broader surge in violence within the Raozan region. According to security reports, the area has seen 25 homicides since the government transition on August 5, 2024, with 18 of those deaths attributed to political friction. In the same period, authorities have recorded over 100 armed clashes that have left more than 350 people injured.