Police have arrested a 32-year-old man, Wazid Islam Rakib, who was wanted in an arms case in Khulna. He was arrested late on Sunday night, 26 July, from his father-in-law’s house in the Baikali area of the city.
Rakib is the son of Zakir Sheikh of the Baikali area.
Police said Rakib was arrested from his father-in-law’s house at about 1am on Sunday night on the basis of secret information. There are four cases against him, including one for possessing an illegal firearm.
The deputy commissioner of the Khulna Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB), Md Ahaduzzaman, said Rakib had been arrested on the basis of secret information. He is involved with a criminal group, he said. In initial questioning he said he had had a firearm, and that an associate took it away a month and a half to two months ago. Efforts are under way to arrest that associate and recover the weapon.
Local sources said Rakib and his father, Zakir Sheikh, had established a reign of terror in the Baikali, Boyra and Mujgunni areas of Khalishpur police station in the city. Father and son had long been running various criminal activities with a teenage gang, including extortion, drugs, land grabbing, snatching and robbery, the sources said. Rakib and members of his teenage gang had even attacked a police officer on duty. People in the area cannot speak out for fear of the two, according to the sources. There are at least 15 cases against Rakib and his father, Zakir, at Khalishpur and Sonadanga police stations for various offences, including murder and possession of illegal firearms.
It is understood that during the Awami League government Zakir Sheikh ran various criminal activities including the drugs trade, extortion and land grabbing under the protection of local Awami League and Jubo League leaders. After the fall of the government on 5 August 2024, Zakir Sheikh and his son fled the area.
Zakir Sheikh was detained by the joint forces on 3 October that year. After being released, he had been carrying out criminal activity in the area again, claiming to be a BNP man.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report