Sitakunda's top terrorist Zafar Ali arrested

Police have arrested Sitakunda's top-listed terrorist, Zafar Ali, who is accused in 18 different criminal cases, including murder, rape, narcotics, extortion, explosives, vandalism, and arson.

Two of his associates – Abdul Mannan Prakash and Md Rubel – were also arrested during a raid in the Mahadevpur area of Sitakunda upazila last night.

Police also seized 2,200 pieces of yaba tablets from their possession, Sitakunda police station's Officer-in-Charge Kamal Uddin told The Business Standard on Friday.

Prakash and Rubel face charges related to weapons and robbery, he added.

The police officer said, "A raid was conducted on the rooftop of a four-storey building based on confidential information. The suspects attempted to escape arrest by jumping onto trees from the roof, resulting in injuries to Zafar Ali and Abdul Mannan. However, the police managed to arrest them, and they are currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital."

Zafar and his brother Mohammad Ali, who is also a top-listed terrorist in Sitakunda, had a long reign of terror involving extortion, violence, and drug trafficking.

In October last year, Zafar was arrested with a locally-made weapon, followed by his brother's arrest with a foreign-made gun, a magazine, and three rounds of bullets the next month.

Zafar Ali had previously been accused in a premeditated murder case in April 2022 when he allegedly hacked a businessman named Mohammad Harun to death over an extortion dispute with dump truck owners.