Chalitatali, a neighbourhood under the Chattogram Metropolitan Police on the northern edge of the city, remained eerily quiet on Thursday. Shops were shuttered, and only a handful of vehicles moved along the deserted streets.
Fear gripped the area after notorious gang leader Sarwar Hossain Babla was shot dead by a rival group on Wednesday evening. In the same incident, BNP’s Chattogram city unit convener Ershad Ullah, also the party’s nominated candidate for the upcoming election in Chattogram-8, sustained bullet injuries.
Standing in front of the mosque where Sarwar and Ershad had offered prayers shortly before the attack, local resident Sharif Uddin, 35, said Sarwar’s death was “not surprising”, as he had long been targeted by a powerful rival gang.
However, Sharif, who works for a contracting firm, said he was shocked that a political figure like Ershad had become entangled in the violence. “These gangs use politicians for protection,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
“There are rumours that Sarwar and his rival, ‘Chhoto Sajjad’, now in jail, both sought political shelter to expand their dominance across the city,” he added.
Later that same night, five activists of BNP and its affiliated wings were shot and injured by unidentified assailants in Raozan upazila. The attack took place around 11:45pm in Chowdhury Para area of Koyepara village, under Ward 7 of Bagoan Union.
Adding to the panic, another shooting occurred on Thursday afternoon in Chalitatali, where an auto-rickshaw driver, Idris Ali, was injured.
These violent incidents are nothing new for Chattogram in recent months. A wave of gang violence has gripped the port city, spreading panic among residents and unsettling political circles, with at least 50 murders recorded over the past year.
Local residents and police sources said most of the killings stem from long-running turf wars among Chattogram’s criminal gangs, particularly between the Sarwar group and its rival faction led by Sajjad.
They added that political patronage from influential quarters – including figures linked to the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami – has further aggravated the situation, leaving law enforcement increasingly frustrated.
“Political leaders must be careful about whom they associate with,” said Ahsan Habib Palash, deputy inspector general, Chattogram Range.
He added that there was “no reason for the public to panic”, as the government had directed strict action to prevent any further deterioration of law and order.
Political backing behind gang violence
According to police sources, a gang of eight to ten armed youths loyal to Sajjad carried out the attack on Sarwar on Wednesday and fled along the Oxygen–Quais Road, firing as they escaped.
Local sources said the feud centres on control over the Shah Amanat Bridge toll operations, several sand depots, and the industrial zones of Kalurghat and Pachlaish – with political figures allegedly backing both sides.
Sarwar was once a close associate of notorious Pachlaish gangster Sajjad, who is currently behind bars but continues to operate through his network.
Earlier, on the night of 30 March, Sarwar narrowly survived an attack near Chandanpura on Baklia Access Road when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. Two men – Bakhteyar Hossain Manik and Md Abdullah – were killed in the attack. Sarwar escaped but remained a key figure in local criminal networks.
He reportedly married just a month ago, with BNP leader Ershad among the guests. Since his release on bail after 5 August last year, he had been seen actively participating in BNP rallies.
Weeks ago, Dhakaiya Akbar, a close aide of Sajjad, was killed – allegedly by Sarwar’s group – escalating the clash further.
Locals and social media photographs suggest strong ties between both Sarwar and Sajjad with leaders from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Party leaders, however, deny any such connections.
“We do not support or protect terrorists. Police must take action against those involved in gang culture,” said Shajan Chowdhury, former president of Chattogram City Jamaat, speaking to TIMES.
Abu Sufian, former BNP South District president, said, “This is purely a gang rivalry for dominance and extortion. We have no reason to shelter them.”
Mohammad Aziz, elder brother of Sarwar, told TIMES of Bangladesh that his brother had close ties with BNP Chairperson’s adviser Aslam Chowdhury, while his rival Sajjad maintained an alliance with Mir Helal, BNP candidate for Chattogram-5 (Hathazari).
When contacted, Mir Helal dismissed the claim as a “baseless conspiracy”, saying he did not know anyone in the area, which he noted lies outside his constituency.
TIMES of Bangladesh attempted to reach Aslam Chowdhury for comment, but he could not be reached despite repeated phone calls.
