DHAKA: Law enforcers in Kolkata are now interrogating Bangladeshi ‘top terror’ Mokbul Hossain alias Mukul for his involvement in terrorist activities in the neighboring West Bengal state of India after reigning supreme in part of Dhaka’s criminal gangland.
Following a manhunt by law enforcers for his involvement in the grenade attack on the then opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 21, 2004, Mukul had fled the country into hideouts across the border. Indian police recently arrested him in South Chabbish Pargana, according to+ official sources in Dhaka and Kolkata.
“Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now coordinating with the Indian police to bring him back,” a competent source here said.
Mukul, wanted in connection with 17 killings in Bangladesh, has been accused of two murders in West Bengal as well.
According to West Bengal Police, Mukul slaughtered Shoeb Khondoker and Azibar Rahman in Helencha village of Chabbish Pargana district.
A number of listed terrorists of Bangladesh, including Mukul, Shoeb and Azibar, were hiding in Helencha, they said, adding that the terrorists locked into fights for supremacy and possession of arms in the cross-border criminal gangland.
Following the double-murder, Mukul changed his hideout and took shelter in a village under Bagda Police Station of Chabbish parganas, Kolkata police sources said.
Investigation by foreign police squads into the 21st August carnage at Bangabandhu Avenue pointed out Mukul’s involvement in the incident. Government’s crime busters were put on high alert to net Mukul, but he trespassed into India.
Competent sources in the police high-ups said the CID and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) lacked updated information on the fugitive.
“Lack of updated information about Mukul made it difficult for the investigators to track him down. It was also difficult for police to identify his associate extortionists at work,” said the source.
Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and other law-enforcing agencies listed Mukul as a ‘top terror’.
However, they do not have his photograph.
Once known to be ferocious terrorist, he gradually turned into a passionate serial killer. Ramna police station filed two cases against Mukul for murdering two of his own cohorts in Dhaka’s criminal underworld.
There are also reports of Mukul’s involvement in the killing of Shamim, Tarun and Nishat of Malibagh area, businessman Mujibar Rahman of Badda, Saiful of Tejgaon Industrial area, Sohag of Malibag, Naser, Toha and Ebadat of Gulbag, Feroz and Ismail Hossain of Maghbazar, and Khokon of Titipara. Reports were also on the killing of terrorist Asif in Tilpapara of Khilgaon in the much-talked-about triple-murder case.
Mokbul Hossain alias Mukul, son of Abdul Matin, was born in village Kashimpur under Sadar thana of the frontier-district Satkhira. He grew up in the capital. He lived in a house at 672 Jahanbux lane in Maghbazar area under Ramna thana.
In 2002 he abducted a young girl, Liza, and later married her forcibly. A number of sources close to Mukul confirmed that he used to reside in a rented house in Kamarpara of Tongi along with his wife Liza before he left for India.
In the capital’s underworld, Mukul’s pseudonym was M-16 as he acquired an M-16 rifle from some clandestine arms traders of Chittagong in 1998. True to his acquired title, he was the first user of M-16 in Dhaka’s terror zone, according to police sources.
His debut in the underworld was through top-terror Subrata Bain. However, he got the staircase and proved himself a ‘living terror legend’ by virtue of his ‘skill’ in killings, toll-extortion and terrorist acts. During 1996-97, he used to play the second fiddle to the infamous ‘Seven Star’ group of Maghbazar.
Mukul became unrivalled terrorist in Tejgaon, Ramna and Khilgaon areas after he came in contact with another crowned as top terror, Touhiduzzaman Tikka, as his sidekick. Mukul meteorically shot to the top slot in capital’s underworld for his overkill in killings.
BDST: 1012 HRS, JULY 07, 2010
