Dewan Atikur Rahman Akhi, the mastermind behind the Nasirnagar mayhem of Brahmanbaria district, was nabbed from the city’s Bhatara area on Thursday, police said.
Akhi, an incumbent Chairman of Haripur Union Parishad, is also an Awami League (AL) leader. After the mayhem he (Akhi) went into hiding. He was the main accused in a case filed over the attack on some houses belonged to the Hindus.
Earlier on October 30, a gang of miscreants vandalized around 100 homes and five temples and looted valuables in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district over a Facebook post “hurting the Muslims’ religious sentiment.
Later, two cases were filed against 2,400 unidentified people in this connection.
When contacted, Iqbal Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Brahmanbaria Police, said on Thursday a special squad of Detective Branch (DB) of police raided capital Dhaka’s Bhatara and arrested him around 3 pm with the help of local police.
“Our Detective Branch of police in association with the local police arrested Akhi from Bhatara area at about 3pm. Police are taking him to Brahmanbaria,” he added.
Atikur Rahman Akhi is a former district committee member of the Juba League, an associate body of ruling Awami League.
The Hindu households were attacked by all those men, who were brought in from Haripur in 14 to 15 trucks. Akhi was said to have arranged and paid fare of trucks, which carried the men to the villages.
Local political leaders said supporters of lawmaker RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury planned the attacks on the Hindu community to create problems for their rivals.
Police were looking for Akhi who went into hiding. His arrest follows the capture of two of his associates on Sunday. Earlier AL suspended three local unit leaders for their alleged involvement in mayhem. They are Nasirnagar Union Parishad Chairman Abul Hashem, also Assistant Secretary of the party’s upazila unit, Faruk Mia, President of Haripur Union, and Haji Suruj, Chief of Chapartola union unit.
Meanwhile, two investigation reports, prepared by Police Bureau of Investigation [PBI] over mayhem, have found out that the “distorted photo” of Kaaba Sharif was stored and edited in the cellular phone of Zahangir Alam.
Zahangir Alam, 30, owner of Al-Amin cyber-café, arrested on November 28, is now in the jail. The picture was deleted after sometime. The two inquiry reports also said.
Earlier on Monday the Detective Branch of Brahmanbaria district submitted the investigation reports to the District and Session Judge Court. Earlier, the PBI sent the investigation reports to Detective Branch of Brahmanbaria District asking to take necessary action.
During the mayhem, the attackers also beat up over 100 people of the minority community, living in eight Hindu localities, including Kashipara, Daspara, Ghoshpara, Duttapara and Nomoshudropara, said Abdul Quader, Officer-in-Charge of Nasirnagar Police Station.
