Former Jubo League leader, ‘robber’ held in Bogura
Lutfar Sheikh, the former president of Chaluabari union Jubo League in Sariakandi upazila and also known to be a notorious robber, was arrested on Monday in Bogura.
A team of Bogura Detective Branch (DB) with the help of Sariakandi police arrested Lutfar Sheikh alias Lutfar Pagla in Sujauler Para Char on the Jamuna around 1:30pm.
Police recovered a gun and two bullets from him during the raid. A case has been filed against him with the Sariakandi Police Station for illegal possession of the firearms and ammunition.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Omar Farooq yesterday placed Lutfar in a seven-day remand after police asked for a 10-day remand. Lutfar refuted all allegations, said Emran Mahmud Tuhin, inspector of Bogura DB.
According to the police, there are 15 cases against him, including four murders, filed with police stations in Rangpur, Joypurhat, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Bogura. Lutfar was the leader of an inter-district gang of robbers in this region, claimed police.
He had 11 warrants pending with Sariakandi Police Station, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration) Ali Haider Chowdhury, who led the operation with the DB team.
Ayub Tarafdar, president of the Sariakandi upazila Jubo League unit and also a vice-chairman of the Sariakandi upazila parishad, told The Daily Star, "We suspended Lutfar from his post [of Chaluabari union Jubo League unit president] a year ago after receiving many robbery complaints against him."
After staying under cover in remote char areas for 12 days, the law enforcers were able to arrest Lutfar "Dakat", said Bogura DB inspector Tuhin.
"Police have long been trying to apprehend Lutfar but he escaped by taking advantage of the char areas to his advantage," Ali Haider told The Daily Star.
The ASP said Lutfar used to spend nights in boats and robbed in remote char areas of Bogura, Jamalpur, and Gaibandha.
There are many rumours about Lutfar's robbery in the char areas. When visiting the areas, locals told this correspondent that Lutfar is a feared robber. Many local news outlets have reported that Lutfar terrorised the Jamuna char areas while living in a luxury, air-conditioned boat and he has many properties and a house worth Tk 1.5 crore.
Lutfar Sheikh, however, denied everything while speaking to The Daily Star at the Bogura DB office, before being taken to court yesterday.
"People have filed these cases against me out of enmity. I have never even slapped anyone in my entire life. I have a farm of 45 buffalos in the char area which is looked after by the 20 other members of my family. I never robbed anyone, never killed anyone," said Lutfar.
"I don't have a house worth Tk 1.5-2 crore or a boat with AC. The locals and some local newspapers have spread false rumours about me. If there is a robbery incident in the char areas, people file cases against me," Lutfar said.