Two prime suspects directly involved in the brutal daylight killing of scrap trader Lal Chand, also known as Sohag, in Dhaka’s Mitford area have been arrested, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) confirmed on Saturday.
According to RAB Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman, the two individuals—identified as “Lomba Munir” and “Alamgir”—were apprehended on Friday night. He said both men were clearly seen in video footage of the murder, which shows Sohag being beaten and struck on the head with a rock in front of Gate No. 3 of Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford) Hospital on Wednesday evening.
“This was a horrific and gruesome killing,” said the RAB chief at a press briefing held at the force’s media centre in Dhaka. “The army and various intelligence agencies have also supported law enforcement in the investigation. Our operations will continue until all perpetrators are brought to justice.”
While RAB refrained from disclosing any political affiliations of the arrested suspects, the agency demanded swift justice and urged the government to ensure a fast-tracked trial.
Meanwhile, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul has announced that the government is committed to prosecuting the Mitford killing under the Speedy Trial Tribunal.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Nazrul said, “Five suspects have already been arrested, and the police are conducting a high-priority investigation. The government is determined to ensure justice is delivered without delay.”
He said the trial will be conducted under Section 10 of the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, 2002, and measures will be taken to ensure exemplary punishment for those involved.
The killing, believed to have stemmed from a dispute over scrap trading, triggered national outrage after graphic video footage of the attack went viral on social media. Protesters likened the killing to past incidents of political violence in Old Dhaka.
On Friday, students from various institutions staged protest marches across the capital, demanding justice for Sohag and condemning the rise in public violence. In the evening, the Bangladesh Students’ Federation led a torchlight procession on Dhaka University campus, also protesting the recent killing of expelled Jubo Dal leader Mahbubur Rahman in Khulna.
In a separate development, four leaders affiliated with BNP’s associate bodies were expelled on Friday evening in connection with the Mitford killing.
The expelled individuals include former assistant secretary for climate affairs of Jubo Dal’s central executive committee, Razzab Ali (Pintu); Joint Convener of Dhaka South Jubo Dal, Sabah Karim (Laki); Apu Das, member-secretary of Chawkbazar Thana Chhatra Dal; and a volunteer named Kalu, known locally as “Swachchhasebok Kalu.”
Political and civil society organisations have strongly condemned the killing and called for swift and exemplary punishment to restore public confidence in law enforcement and justice.