The killing of Tariq Saif Mamun (52) — listed by police as one of Dhaka’s top criminals — has triggered new ripples across the capital’s underworld.
Detectives say the name of another notorious gangster, Tofayel Ahmed Joseph, has now surfaced alongside Sanjidul Islam Emon, once Mamun’s close associate but later his bitter rival.
According to police sources, Joseph orchestrated the murder as revenge for the killing of his brother Saeed Ahmed Tipu, in which Mamun was allegedly involved. Investigators believe Emon and Joseph jointly planned the assassination to eliminate a common enemy.
Police on Tuesday detained the two shooters involved in the murder of top Old Dhaka gangster Mamun after identifying them through video footage.
The detainees are Rubel and Ibrahim, both of whom work as professional contract shooters.
A team of detective branch police arrested them during raids in different areas of Cumilla while they were attempting to cross the border.
Police promise zero tolerance
Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam told reporters on Tuesday that “no criminal will be spared,” adding that all police units have been given special directives to act accordingly.
Investigators confirmed that two firearms were used in the Mamun killing. They also noted a rise in the use of illegal weapons in recent incidents across Dhaka.
According to several confidential intelligence reports, lax policing and weak enforcement have allowed arms stockpiles to grow in the city’s underworld.
Following the high-profile daylight murder, all units of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), including the Detective Branch (DB), have launched special drives to locate armed gangs.
Detectives probing the networks
Md Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner (DB) of DMP, told TIMES of Bangladesh that multiple DB teams are now working to trace “the real culprits.”
He warned against sticking to old case files, saying that would “only help new criminals exploit the gaps.”
“Once active offenders are caught, we will also learn who is behind them — the godfathers will be exposed,” he said.
Gangland resurgence after regime change
According to the DMP’s detective sources, several top criminals were released from prison after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024, following the student-people’s uprising.
Those freed include Abbas Ali alias Killer Abbas, Sweden Aslam, Imamul Hasan Helal alias Picchi Helal, Sanjidul Islam alias Emon, Khondaker Nayeem Ahmed alias Titon, and Khorshed Alam alias Freedom Rasu.
Most of them had earlier been granted bail but chose to remain in custody under “crossfire fear.”
After their release, Subrata Bain and Molla Masud, two other infamous gang leaders, returned from India — only to be arrested later in Kushtia during a military operation. They remain in jail.
Meanwhile, two gang leaders — Jisan Ahmed Monty and Shahadat — continue to direct operations from abroad. Both are believed to control substantial stockpiles of modern weapons.
Amin Rasul Sagar alias Tokai Sagar has recently visited Bangladesh from the United States. Bikash Kumar Biswas, another crime figure, operates from France. He was released from prison on 14 December 2012 and crossed into India through Benapole before moving to Paris.
The Joseph connection
Once one of the country’s most feared criminals in the 1990s, Tofayel Ahmed Joseph was serving a life sentence for a 2018 murder case but was later pardoned by the then president, Abdul Hamid, and released.
After some activity in Bangladesh following his release, Joseph left the country again. He is the brother of former army chief General Aziz Ahmed. Another brother, Haris Ahmed, is also abroad and allegedly pulling strings in the underworld.
Rivalries and revenge
Police officials say preliminary findings show that Mamun, who was gunned down near Johnson Road on Monday morning while on his way to court, was once a close associate of Emon.
After serving 24 years in prison, Mamun was released in 2023, while Emon was freed after the August 5 changeover last year.
Following his release, Mamun tried to reclaim control over Hazaribagh, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Tejgaon areas — angering Emon, who then plotted Mamun’s killing.
Meanwhile, Joseph and Haris had already marked Mamun as their target — seeking revenge for Tipu’s killing on 13 March 1999, 26 years and eight months ago.
Their target list also includes Emon, but Joseph and Haris reportedly “managed” Emon under a cut-throat deal, and together they hired professional hitmen to eliminate Mamun — once a member of the same “Emon-Mamun” gang.
Both Emon and Mamun are accused in the murders of film actor Sohel Chowdhury and Saeed Ahmed Tipu, brother of former army chief Aziz Ahmed.
Turf wars and armed buildup
According to several recently freed criminals, Dhaka’s underworld is once again polarising — driven by disputes over territory, extortion money, and political protection.
They say groups are recruiting teenagers and juveniles under the cover of political identities.
The city’s extortion turf wars have turned especially fierce in Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul, Gulshan, Badda, Mohammadpur, Tejgaon, Farmgate, Motijheel, Moghbazar, and Old Dhaka.
Once-dominant “Seven Star” and “Five Star” gangs have now been replaced by the newly formed “Four Star” group — led by Mamun, Ibrahim, Shahadat and Mukhtar of Mirpur. This gang is said to control a large portion of Dhaka’s extortion network.
Mamun’s family to file case
Mamun’s brother Ishtiak Mohammad Iqbal said the body has been buried in their village home, and the family will file a case after returning to Dhaka.
“The killers are visible in CCTV footage. Once they’re caught, the motive will become clear,” he added.
