H M Sagar, Savar

Although the armed suspect involved in looting trawlers at gunpoint due to non-payment of demanded extortion has not yet been arrested in Savar but the police have recovered two of the looted trawlers. Earlier, another trawler was recovered from Foodnagar last night. 

On Thursday (April 10) at around 4:30 PM, police conducted a raid in the Bhatirchar area of Singair police station in Manikganj and recovered the two trawlers. Earlier, on Wednesday (April 9) afternoon, the accused had looted two boats at gunpoint at the Milan Ghat on the Bangshi River in the Kornopara area of Savar municipality.

The accused are—Antor Khan (26), Morshed Khan (25), son of Mahabullah Khan, Mosharof Khan (28), Hridoy (25), Rony Khan (42), and 10–12 unidentified others from the Foodnagar area of Singair in Manikganj.

Hedayetullah, son of Kamrul Islam, the leaseholder of the ghat, said the two looted boats were being used by his father Kamrul Islam for ferrying people in the Milan Ghat area. “We have been running our business legally for a long time by taking a lease at the Katlapur Kornopara Milan Ghat in Savar,” he said. “A man named Antor and his gang demanded five lakh taka as extortion for Eid. When we refused to pay the demanded extortion, yesterday afternoon Antor and some others, armed with pistols, held the ghat workers at gunpoint and looted three engine-powered trawlers. At that time, they fired three rounds to create panic at the ghat.”

Following the filing of a case regarding the incident, police recovered the two looted trawlers on Thursday afternoon.

 OC of Savar Model Police Station, Jewel Mia, said the victim has filed a case in this regard. Immediately after the incident, one of the looted boats was recovered.

 Later on Thursday afternoon, two more boats were recovered through an operation. He also said that operations are ongoing to arrest the armed suspect Antor.