Arif Sikder, former assistant sports secretary of Dhaka North Jubo Dal’s Ward-36 unit, was shot by rival assailants in the Nayatola area under Hatirjheel police station on April 19. He later succumbed to his injuries on April 21 while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Following his death, Arif’s sister Rima Akter filed a murder case at Hatirjheel Police Station. The case was assigned to Inspector Mohammad Mazharul Islam of the Tejgaon Division of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.
On June 23, Inspector Mazharul submitted a petition to show Subrata Bain alias Fateh Ali, 61, arrested in the murder case. Dhaka’s Magistrate Court approved the petition based on preliminary evidence of his involvement in orchestrating the killing.
According to the remand plea, Subrata Bain had been residing in India for several years and returned to Bangladesh in August 2024 amidst political shifts. Upon his return, he allegedly attempted to reassert his dominance in the Moghbazar and Hatirjheel areas by organizing armed gatherings, recruiting members, and holding secret meetings. The DB claims he masterminded Arif Sikder’s killing by instructing his junior associates to execute the attack.
Police investigation further revealed that prior to the murder, Subrata Bain, along with accused Bipul and others, had held secret meetings at the residence of Sharif, uncle of another accused named Ifti. Testimony from another arrestee, Miraj, also indicated that the weapon used in the murder was supplied by Bipul and returned to Ifti after the attack.
The murder occurred in front of “The Jheel Café” on Morol Goli in Nayatola on April 19. Arif Sikder, who sustained bullet injuries, was later pronounced dead at DMCH. A murder case was filed against Subrata Bain’s associate Mahfuzur Rahman Bipul and nine others.
Other accused in the case include Md. Yasin (19), Md. Asif Hossain (21), Md. Anik (19), Md. Miraj (19), Md. Ashik (19), Md. Ifti (24), Jafar Imam Torofdar Montu (40), Ratan Sheikh (45), and Alif (19).
Notably, on May 27, Subrata Bain and his associate Molla Masud were arrested with firearms by a joint force. He was later placed on an eight-day remand under the Arms Act.
The DB is now seeking a fresh 10-day remand for Subrata Bain to extract crucial information regarding the murder’s planning, identify his accomplices, and recover the illegal firearms used in the killing. The case remains under active investigation.