Ctg double murder: 13 took part in the mission, no arrests yet

A gang of 13 criminals on six motorbikes carried out a targeted killing mission in the port city's Bakalia area on Sunday.

Four days on, police have yet to make any arrests or recover the firearms used in the attack.

However, they claim to have identified five of the killers after analysing hundreds of CCTV footage.

The intended target, Sarwar Hossain Babla, a listed criminal from the Bayezid Bostami area, managed to escape. The shooting was part of a battle for supremacy in Bayezid Bostami and surrounding areas and an act of revenge for the arrest of another top criminal, Sazzad Hossain, alias Choto Sazzad.

According to investigators, another top criminal from the Bayezid Bostami area, Sazzad Ali Khan, alias Shibir Sazzad, who is currently abroad, orchestrated the attack.

In the early hours of Sunday, just before Eid-ul-Fitr, two men were shot dead. Criminals on motorbikes opened fire, chasing a private car along Bakalia Access Road. The driver, Bakhtiar Hossain Manik, 28, and Abdullah Al Rifat were killed in the attack.

Police said the shootout spanned nearly three kilometres.

During the incident, Sarwar was inside the car and was armed, multiple police sources confirmed.

On Tuesday, Manik's mother filed a case with Bakalia Police Station, accusing Choto Sazzad, his wife Tamanna, and others.

Last month, Choto Sazzad was arrested from a shopping mall in Dhaka after being spotted by locals. Following his arrest, his wife posted a video on Facebook, threatening that those responsible for his detention would face consequences.

Police said Sazzad had long-standing rivalries with Sarwar over territorial control in Bayezid Bostami. After Sazzad's arrest, Sarwar and his gang emerged from hiding.

At midnight on Sunday, Sarwar and six of his associates went to the Bakalia area. Manik was driving the private car when six motorbikes began following it. As the car moved from Rajakhali point, gunmen opened fire. The vehicle then entered Bakalia Access Road, where both groups reportedly exchanged fire.

The attackers on motorbikes fired indiscriminately, damaging the car. The vehicle eventually stopped near a police patrol jeep in Chawkbazar, prompting the assailants to flee.

A police officer from Bakalia told The Daily Star, "The criminals fired indiscriminately with shotguns and 9mm pistols. They all wore helmets to conceal their faces, but we have identified six of them."

The identified suspects are Md Hasan, 38, Mobarak Hossain Imon, 22, Khorshed, 45, Raihan, 35, and Borhan, 27. However, The Daily Star could not independently verify their identities.

According to BRTA records, the car is owned by one Ronel Talukdar. Police have seized the vehicle as evidence.

Sazzad and his wife, Sharmin Akhter Tamanna, have repeatedly alleged that Sarwar has been inciting the police against them and was involved in Sazzad's arrest.

On January 15, Tamanna filed a lawsuit in court, naming the officer-in-charge of Bayezid Bostami Police Station and six others as defendants. Babla was also named in the case. At the time, Tamanna accused Babla of accompanying police during her husband's arrest.

Inspector Mozzamal Hoque of Bakalia Police Station told The Daily Star, "We have collected CCTV footage and found some leads. The investigation is ongoing."

He declined to disclose further details as the case was under investigation.