25-case accused escapes while being taken to Kashimpur Jail

An accused in at least 25 drug and arms cases escaped from police custody while being taken to Kashimpur Central Jail-1 after appearing in a Dhaka court on Sunday (September 27).

The fugitive, Raja alias Pichchi Raja, a resident of Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, according to police sources in Dhaka and Gazipur.

Senior Jail Superintendent of Kashimpur Central Jail-1 Md Nazrul Islam said Raja was taken to Dhaka by a prison van in the morning for a court appearance. After the hearing, he was being taken back to Kashimpur when the van reached the Naojor area of Gazipur.

Raja reportedly asked to use a toilet. Police escorting the prisoner took him to a nearby toilet, from where he allegedly managed to escape, the jail superintendent said.

Police have launched efforts to track him down, while details of how he escaped are being examined.

A source at Mohammadpur Police Station said Raja, known in the area as a suspected drug dealer, was arrested on May 19 after returning to Bangladesh from Nepal. He, his wife and his brother-in-law were detained with assistance from immigration police at the airport.

Raja had remained in custody since his arrest, the source said.