Dhaka: Police have successfully solved the case of the murders of two auto-rickshaw drivers in Gandaria, which occurred in September and October, with the arrest of three suspects, two of whom were directly involved in the crimes.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the suspects have been identified as Jalal Sardar alias Michael (21), Fazle Rabbi alias Kala (25), and Md Imran (30).
Michael and Kala were directly involved in the murders of the drivers, Zinnah (60) and Anwar (40), while Imran was detained for purchasing the stolen rickshaw, as disclosed by Md Saleh Uddin, deputy commissioner of Wari Division of Police, during a news briefing at Minto Road. “The duo killed the drivers for snatching away their auto-rickshaws,” he stated, indicating that the investigation into these acts continues.
The police, through an analysis of the cases, noted similarities in the modus operandi of the crimes, suggesting the involvement of a specific criminal gang. The investigation led to the identification of the
two suspects with the aid of information technology and CCTV footage.
On September 21, 2024, Jinnah, an auto-rickshaw driver, was attacked by two unidentified passengers near the Anjuman Graveyard in Gandaria. He succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. His son, Md Yusuf Hossain, filed a murder case with Gandaria police station on September 23, 2024.
A similar incident occurred on October 15, when Anwar, another auto-rickshaw driver, was killed in Gandaria. His cousin, Md Manik, subsequently filed a murder case on October 21. Initially, police suspected the same gang was behind both murders.
After thorough investigation, the police confirmed the involvement of Michael and Kala in the killings and arrested them. During interrogation, Michael confessed to both murders, revealing that Kala was his accomplice in Jinnah’s murder, while he acted alone in Anwar’s case. He admitted to selling the stolen rickshaw to Imran for Tk 13,000.
On October 25, police recovered the stolen rickshaw from I
mran’s possession and arrested him. Both Michael and Kala have given confessional statements in court, admitting to their involvement in the respective murders.