Killing three traders: Fugitive death-row convict arrested after 17years

August 30, 2022

PBC News: A death-row convict who remained fugitive for long 17 years has been arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

Newaz Sharif Rasel alias Sabuj alias Babu who was given death sentence for murdering three traders slitting their throats was arrested by RAB-11 CPC-2 Cumilla on Sunday night from Alekhar Char Biswa Road area in Cumilla city.

Babu is the son of Selim Reza of village Srayang under Laksam upazila in Cumilla district.

RAB-11, CPC-2 told newsmen that arrested Babu had murdered three traders slitting their throats for taking Tk 1,400 from them at Sriyang Bazar in Laksam on January 6, 2007.

RAB had been working for a long time to arrest the convict with the help of information technology.

Acting on a tip-off, RAB launched a raid at Alekhar Char area on Sunday night and arrested triple murder covict Babu. In order to avoid arrest, he changed different places and took different names.

It is learnt that about 17 years ago on Janauary 6, 2007, several youths including Babu had remained hidden in a jungle adjacent to the bank of Bodir’s Pukurpar pond in Sriyang area under Laksam upazila to commit robbery.

At that time, perishable goods traders Uttam Debnath and Parikshit Debnath, son of Monindra Debnath of village Protappur under Monoharganj upazila and Bacchu Mia, son of Shamsul Huq of village Jagatpur under Laksam upazila, were returning home closing their respective shops at Sriyang Bazar. When they arrived at Bodir’s Pukurpar area, Babu and his accomplices surrounded them. Brandishing their arms, they threatened the traders to give all their belongings. When the traders declined to give their money, the robbers started punching and kicking the traders.

Finding no other alternatives, the traders at one stage, gave their cash to the robbers. Suddenly, Uttam Debnath identified Babu and his accomplices. He started shouting that he would make complain to the local chairman and member against them on the following day.

As the traders knew Babu and his accomplices, they decided to murder all of them. Then they took the traders to a nearby field and killed them brutally slitting their throats.

On the following day, victim trader Bacchu Mia’s brother Kabir Hossain filed a murder and dacoity case with Laksam Police Station.

Major Mohammad Sakib Hossain of RAB-11 CPC-2 said Babu and his family left Cumilla on the following day and took refuge at the hosue of his father’s friend at Dagarmura area in Savar near Dhaka. Then he started living at a rented house there with his family. Keeping his real identity concealed, he introduced himself as Sabuj at Dagarmura area. He worked as a hawker there for four years–from 2007 to 2010.

Babu rented a new house at Niribili area under Nabinagar Police Station in Savar at the end of 2010 when he saw a family of their nearby village regularly visited the area. Then he wedlocked there. Later, he abandoned the profession of hawker and started working as bus helper at Polash Paribahan and Nirapad Paribahan.

Knowing the real identity of Babu and a case against him, his wife divorced him in 2016. Being scared, Babu left Savar area and started living at Kamalapur Railway Station area in Dhaka. Following the death of his father in 2020, his family left Savar area and started living at a rented house at Barura area in Cumilla.

Other death-row convicts are Abdur Rahman, son of Abdul Kader of Laksam, Shahiduulah, son of Yakub Ali, Faruk Hossain, son of Abdul Mannan, and Swapan, son of Mohammad Ullah. They are now in jail.

On November 14, 2018, the then additional district and sessions judge of Cumilla Noor Nahar Begum Sheuli handed down the verdict against the four accused.