7 hijackers held

Detectives in the capital on Saturday arrested seven hijackers, who killed a truck driver and his assistant after hijacking their iron rod-laden vehicle from Dhaka-Aricaha highway at Gabtoli early Thursday.
The arrestees are Md Tazul Islam, Md Mannan Mollah, Md Babul, Razib Khan, Ismail Bapary, Md Jahangir, and Moin Uddin.
Yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam told journalists at DMP Media Centre that several teams of Detective Branch of Police conducted drives at Shah Ali Mazar in Mirpur, Paschim Agargoan of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, and Balurmath in Savar.
Based on the arrestees' information, the DB recovered the decomposed bodies of the duo -- driver Abdul Majid and his assistant Saidul -- from Turag River at Balurghat, he said.
They also seized the hijacked truck with the goods and three other trucks used in the hijacking from Paschim Agargoan area, he added.
Yesterday, the DB placed the arrestees before a Dhaka court seeking a 10-day remand. The court granted a five-day remand for each.
Quoting the arrestees, DB (West) Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman, who led the drives, said a gang of 20 hijackers intercepted the Kushtia-bound truck from Chittagong, which was carrying about 20 tonnes of iron rods, in Gabtali area around 1:30am on Thursday.
Later, the hijackers tied the hands and legs of the driver and his assistant with their lungis. After killing them, they dumped the bodies into the river, he said.
"They (thee hijackers) even gave offerings at Shah Ali Mazar at Mirpur seeking escape from their arrest," he added.