In a high-stakes operation, the Chattogram Police have arrested Mohammad Mobarak Hossain, alias Kala Mobarak, alias “Golakata” Mobarak, 40, a notorious contract killer affiliated with the “Boro Sajjad” gang and a close associate of jailed top terrorist David Imon, along with three active accomplices.
The raid, conducted in the Kanchan Nagar and Shahnagar Pallanpara areas of Lelong Union in Fatikchhari, yielded four firearms – including a foreign-made pistol looted from a police station during the August 2024 political unrest – and a substantial cache of ammunition.
The cordon and shootout
The operation commenced late on Tuesday night at around 3am, extending into the early hours of Wednesday, under the direct supervision of Chattogram District Police Superintendent Md Masud Alam and led by the Additional Superintendent of Police (Hathazari Circle) Kazi Md Tareq Aziz.
Acting on intelligence that Mobarak, who had been hiding in remote hilly terrains, was sheltering with his accomplices at a house near Lelong School belonging to one Waz Pallan, a special team cordoned off the location.
Sensing the police presence, the armed criminals fired several rounds at the officers, prompting the police to return fire in self-defence.
Once all escape routes were blocked, Mobarak agreed to surrender and was taken into custody alongside Mohammad Raihan alias Rayhan, 40, – the cousin of Shibir Babul – Md Farid, 50, and Md Nasir, 52, all residents of the local Shahnagar area.
Investigators are currently probing whether the trio assisted Mobarak in evading law enforcement and evaluating their individual roles in criminal activities. Fatikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rabiul confirmed that the operation is ongoing and legal proceedings are underway.
Recovery of looted police weaponry
During a subsequent search of the hideout, police recovered an array of weaponry, which included a Brazilian-manufactured 9mm Taurus pistol, an Italian-manufactured 7.65mm pistol, a Pakistani-manufactured foreign revolver, and a locally made country pistol.
The seized ammunition comprised 18 rounds of 9mm bullets, five rounds of 7.65mm bullets, three pistol magazines, three spent bullet casings, and four shotgun cartridge shells.
Police revealed that the Brazilian-made Taurus pistol had been looted from the Kotowali Police Station of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police during the unrest of 5 August 2024.
While Mobarak denied personally looting the weapon during initial questioning, claiming he received it from a third party, investigators are actively tracing this supply network to determine how the state-owned weapon reached the gang.
The ‘photo-id’ assassination method
During initial questioning, Mobarak confessed to his direct involvement in the public assassination of Jubo Dal leader Maksudul Haque Chowdhury, alias Masud, in the Pahartali area of Raozan on 13 June.
Mobarak described a cold-blooded method, admitting that he did not know Masud personally but identified him via a photograph sent to his mobile phone. After confirming the target, Mobarak fired the initial shot and then shot Masud in the head to ensure his death.
The police note that the Boro Sajjad gang operates under a structured organisational hierarchy, deploying specialised shooters and local accomplices to execute contract killings, conduct extortion, and dominate lucrative local rackets, such as sand extraction sites.
A history of violence
Known in the criminal underworld as ‘Golakata’ (throat-cutter) Mobarak due to his history of executing brutal attacks on rivals using sharp weapons, the suspect is highly adept at firing weapons with both hands.
He is currently implicated in several high-profile murder cases across Chattogram and Fatikchhari, including the killing of Sarwar Babla in February – which occurred during an election campaign event for Chittagong-8 Member of Parliament Ershad Ullah – as well as the murders of Jamal and Saddam.
SP comment Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam said a long-running dispute over sand extraction in the hilly terrain is the primary suspected motive behind the murder of Masud, though definitive conclusions will depend on the final outcome of the ongoing investigation.
Addressing recent queries regarding the transfer of the investigation officer in the Masud murder case, the Superintendent clarified that the transfer was a routine administrative action and has no impact on the neutrality or progress of the investigation.
Police intend to seek a remand for the arrested suspects to extract further details regarding their operational network, the origin of their weapons, and the masterminds behind these targeted killings.
To provide comprehensive details on the raid, the identities of the arrestees, the charges, and the arms recovery, the Chattogram District Police have organised a press briefing scheduled for Thursday at 2:30pm.
The briefing will be held at the Superintendent of Police’s office in the Nasirabad No 2 Gate area of Chattogram city, where Superintendent Md Masud Alam will address the media.
