Zahedul Islam alias ‘Pichchi Zahed’, a listed criminal, was hacked to death by unidentified assailants in Satkania upazila of Chattogram on Sunday night.
The incident took place in the southern part of Purangar Union under Satkania upazila.
According to police and local sources, Zahed was travelling by motorcycle along a road in Purangar Union when a group of assailants waiting there intercepted him. They then repeatedly struck him on the head with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured.
Local residents rescued Zahed and rushed him to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
According to Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) sources, Zahed was among 330 criminals whose entry into and stay in Chattogram city had been banned by the authorities earlier this year in the interest of public safety. He was reportedly placed at the top of the list.
Police said Zahed was facing multiple cases involving illegal firearms, drug trafficking, extortion and terrorist activities.
On the night of 19 January, he was arrested during a joint operation conducted by the Bangladesh Army and joint forces in the Purangar area of Satkania. During the operation, law enforcement officers recovered 104 Yaba tablets and 15 locally made weapons from his possession.
He was later released on bail by the court and returned to the area, only to be killed within a few months of his release.
Mohammad Ariful Islam Siddique, Additional Superintendent of Police of Satkania Circle, said police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident, collected evidence and prepared an inquest report. The body was later sent to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
The police official said the killing might have stemmed from disputes over drug or arms trading, internal conflicts among criminal groups, or previous enmity.
