Dhaka: Special Response Battalion (SRB) arrested two people in connection with an incident of indiscriminate firing for frightening pedestrians on the Bhanga Expressway in Faridpur. The arrestees were identified as Md Hamidul Gazi, 42, who allegedly opened fire, and Fatema Islam Eni, 26, a female passenger in the car.
According to United News of Bangladesh, SRB-1 Commander Lt Col Md Neyamul Halim Khan disclosed the information at a press conference at the SRB-1 battalion headquarters in the city's Uttara. Briefing reporters, he said Hamidul Gazi was traveling to Gopalganj from Dhaka on August 17 night in a brown-maroon private car with his alleged girlfriend, Fatema Islam Eni.
On the way to Gopalganj, they stopped beside the Bhanga Expressway in Faridpur to have betel leaf and got into an argument with some unidentified local people over parking the car. At one stage, Hamidul, who was inside the car, became agitated and fired two rounds from an illegal firearm kept inside the vehicle to intimidate pedestrians, the SRB-1 commander said.
The duo then quickly left for Gopalganj. A case was filed with Bhanga Police Station in connection with the incident. Based on preliminary investigation and intelligence information, SRB-1 learned that the alleged shooter and his female partner were staying at Imperial Swiss Garden Hotel in Banani under DMP, Lt Col Neyamul said.
A team of SRB-1 conducted a raid at the hotel late Tuesday night and arrested Hamidul and Eni. Based on information provided by the arrestees, the private car used in the incident was recovered from a garage. The pistol allegedly used in the firing is yet to be recovered, and efforts to recover it are underway, Lt Col Neyamul said. The arrestees and the recovered car have been handed over to Airport Police Station for further legal action, he added.