Arms display during BNP founding anniversary programme, 3 arrested

Police have arrested three persons who were holding arms during a clash between two sides centring on the BNP founding anniversary programme in Sitakunda of Chattogram. They were arrested by conducting drives in various areas of Mirsarai, Chandpur and Sitakunda on Monday night.

The arrested persons are Md Sadek Ali, 28, Kamrul Hasan, 43, and Md Hanif, 34. However police have said the arms that were in their hands during the clash could not be recovered. After the arrest a country-made single-barrel cut gun, 11 sharp knives, three kirich, one dao and 15 sticks have been recovered from them.

Police said Sadek Ali was arrested from Mirsarai, Kamrul Hasan from Chandpur and Hanif from the Chhinnamul area of Jangal Salimpur under Salimpur union of Sitakunda on Monday night. After the pictures and videos of the persons holding arms during the clash spread on social media and various media, they were identified by analysing those.

Police claimed that by analysing the pictures of the day of the incident it has been confirmed that Kamrul Hasan and Md Hanif also had arms with them. Kamrul had a shooter gun in his hand and Hanif had a pistol. At the time of the incident Hanif was also carrying a bag. Police suspect that there were arms in that bag.

A clash took place between the followers of former joint convener of Chattogram North District BNP Kazi Mohammad Salauddin and former joint general secretary of the party Aslam Chowdhury in the Hasan Gomosta Mosque area of Sitakunda poura sadar around 1pm on September 1. At that time cocktail explosions and vandalism of three minibuses also took place.

In various pictures and videos that spread on social media after the clash several persons are seen holding arms. Among them the pictures of Md Sadek Ali and Sirajul Islam holding arms spread widely. Although Sadek has been arrested, police have not yet been able to arrest Sirajul Islam.

Md Mohinul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sitakunda police station, said after the incident the armed persons were identified by analysing the pictures and videos that spread on social media and the media. Later drives were started to arrest them. Sadek was arrested from Mirsarai on Monday night. A single-barrel gun has been recovered from him. At the same time drives were conducted in Chandpur to arrest Kamrul and later Hanif was arrested.

The OC said the arms that were in the hands of the armed persons on the day of the clash have not yet been possible to recover. Kamrul had a shooter gun and Hanif had a pistol. It has been initially learnt that the arrested persons have changed hands of the arms. The single-barrel gun recovered from Sadek is not the arm that was in his hand in the viral picture. Police drives are ongoing to recover the arms used at the time of the incident.

Informing that Hanif has been sent to court the OC said police applied for remand for recovery of the actual arms from him as well as interrogation. The court has granted his two days’ remand.

However police have not confirmed the political involvement of the three arrested persons with any side—whether they are followers of former joint general secretary of BNP Aslam Chowdhury or followers of former joint convener Kazi Mohammad Salauddin.

Md Masud Alam, police super of Chattogram district, said after the pictures and videos of displaying arms spread on social media and various media, drives were started to identify and arrest those involved. They have been arrested by conducting drives on the basis of investigation and information obtained from the arrested persons.

He said no one will be spared no matter which party, which group or which political identity the criminal uses. Every person involved in the incident will be brought under the law.