A group of assailants arrived in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, surrounded Karim, a suspect named in several cases, and hacked and shot him to death in Chattogram, police say.
Police said that during the inquest, they found two bullet wounds on his back and waist, along with injuries from sharp weapons to his head and neck.
Mohammad Karim, 37, was shot and killed at Keranihat in Urkirchar Union of Raozan Upazila on Thursday night. Raozan Police Station chief Md Saiful Islam said Karim had at least nine cases filed against him under different laws, including cases involving drugs and weapons.
However, police have not yet been able to determine the motive behind the killing.
The police officer said that Karim did not live in the area and had returned after nearly two months.
“As soon as he went to the market, some assailants arrived in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, killed him and fled,” he said.
Saiful said Karim’s wife, Bilkis Akter, filed a murder case against unidentified persons in connection with the killing.
After the murder, police had said the assailants fled after killing Karim. They recovered his body lying on the road. As all the shops in the market were closed and the traders had left, police were unable to find any witnesses.
Mohammad Belayet Hossain, assistant superintendent of police (Rangunia Circle) of Chattogram district, told bdnews24.com that they were investigating the motive the killing. “We visited the scene this morning,” he said.
“Initially, we have heard that some assailants arrived in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, hacked and shot him, and then fled.”
Locals said Karim had lived abroad for some time and returned to Bangladesh following the political changeover in 2024. At different times he had identified himself as a leader of the Jubo Dal and was seen participating in the BNP affiliate’s processions. Locals also said he had been involved in criminal activities.
However, although locals said Karim identified himself as a Jubo Dal leader, the party has denied that he was affiliated with the organisation.
Karim Not Affiliated to Jubo Dal: Raozan Jubo Dal President, Secretary
Although locals described the slain Karim as a Jubo Dal activist, both Raozan Upazila Jubo Dal President M Shahjan Sahil and General Secretary Saiful Azam denied that he had any connection with the organisation.
Sahil said, “The slain Karim was never involved in Jubo Dal politics. It is embarrassing for us that everyone is describing him as a Jubo Dal activist.”
He said Karim was not killed for political reasons.
“We have heard from various sources that he was involved in the drug trade. He was killed because of an internal dispute among drug dealers,” he said.
Azam said, “BNP is a large political party. If someone attends a procession of one of the party’s affiliate organisations for a single day and then identifies himself as a member of that organisation, that is not acceptable. We never saw Karim at any of our programmes, and we did not know him.”
