The main motive behind the killing of Zahidul Islam alias Tipu, former general secretary of the Awami League Motijheel unit was over a dispute with the local AL leaders regarding candidature for the next MP from Dhaka-8 constituency, several sources involved in the investigation have claimed.
The other two motives were taking control of the underworld and personal grudge.
Sumon Shikder Musa, a key suspect in the Motijheel AL leader Zahidul Islam Tipu murder case, was once a 'professional killer' of the notorious Prakash-Bikash gang.
Later, he also worked for top terror Jafar Ahmed alias 'Manik' alias 'Freedom Manik.' Detectives arrested two suspects Emran Hossain Jitu and Rakibur Rahman Rakib from Motijheel area in the city last week.
Jitu is a licenced firearms and ammunition trader and he owns a shop at Paltan area, said DB Inspector Mohammad Yasin Sikder, also Investigation Officer of the case.
DB investigators said Jitu sold bullets which were ultimately used for killing Tipu and Samia Afrin Priti. Rakib was involved in supplying firearms and bullets to Musa.
With this, 16 people have so far been arrested in the murder case, said IO Mohammad Yasin Sikder.
On June 9 of 2022, Musa was brought home from Oman by police. Oman police arrested him on May 12 in 2022 when he was returning to Dubai after offering prayers at a shrine in Salalah city, DB sources said.
The DB of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested a suspect, Masum Mohammmad alias Akash, who was directly involved in the assassination. According to DB, it was Masum who shot Zahidul. He was hired to carry out the killing.
Sources close to the investigators told the Daily Observer that that the masterminds behind the killing used the anger of the accused in the Rizvi Hasan alias 'Boncha Babu' murder case.
Boncha Babu was shot dead in the AGB Colony in Motijheel area on September 16 in 2016. Deceased Babu's father Abul Kalam was very close to Zahidul Islam. Zahidul would always help financially unstable Kalam. They used to be together all the time. Even, Kalam was in Zahidul's car when he was shot dead.
Zahidul also bore all the expenses of the case filed over the killing of Boncha Babu. Therefore, the accused were angry with Zahidul. Among the main accused in Boncha Babu murder case are Omar Faruque alias Kana Faruque, AL general secretary of Ward No.10, his accomplices - Nasir Uddin and Sumon Sikder.
Meanwhile, Omar Faruque alias 'Kana Faruque' tried to grab the post of president of Motijheel unit AL. He even lobbied through a prominent Awami League leader for this.
On the other hand, when former Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Samrat and Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan used to control the underworld of Motijheel, Shahjahanpur and Khilgaon areas, collected extortions from footpath and controlled the tenders for kitchen market in front of AGB Colony, Krira Parishad and various government organisations including Bangladesh Railway, three fugitive top terrors - Manik, Jisan and Prakash-Bikash group also got a portion of the income from these sources.
Zahidul Islam took the control of all the tenders of Motijheel area, Krira Parishad and the railway.
Tipu's wife Farhana Islam Dolly also alleged that the investigation into the murder was slow. Zahidul Islam Tipu, 54, and Samia Afran Jamal Prity, a 22-year-old student of Begum Badrunnesa Govt College, were killed when an assailant opened fire at them in the capital's Khilgaon Rail-Gate area on March 24 this year.
One week after the murder, RAB personnel arrested Omar Farooq, 52, general secretary of Awami League Ward No 10 of Dhaka South City Corporation, Abu Saleh Sikder alias Shooter Saleh, 38, Nasir Uddin alias Killer Nasir, 38, and Morshedul Alam alias Kaila Palash, 51.
Tipu was the accused in the case filed by Milky's younger brother. Tipu was arrested by the RAB and was in jail for several months.
Tipu's name was later dropped from the charge sheet submitted by the RAB. After the Milky killing, Langra Khaled of Jubo League was locked in a clash with Tipu.
