RAB arrests N'ganj terror absconder Zakir after 20 years

NARAYANGANJ, Sept 3: Former Narayanganj district Chhatra Dal president and alleged top terror Zakir Khan who had been absconding for long two decades was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11.
Addressing a press conference at RAB office, RAB-11 Commander Lt Col Tanvir Mahmud Pasha on Saturday (Sept 3) afternoon said Zakir was arrested with a pistol.
He said Zakir Khan was arrested early Saturday morning from Basundhara Residential Area. Several cases including four murder cases are pending against him. He also served jail sentences at different times in these cases.
Tanvir Mahmud Pasha said acting on a tip off, RAB-11 personnel arrested Zakir Friday midnight in
raid at Basundhara area under Vatara Police Station in the capital.
During the drive, Narayanganj's top terror and Sabbir Alam Khandker murder case accused Zakir Khan was arrested with a foreign-made pistol.
Zakir Khan was awarded 17 years' jail sentence in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act in 1994. Later, his punishment was reduced to eight years by the High Court. But, he had remained absconding for 21 years to avoid punishment.
On February 18 in 2003, Narayanganj BNP leader Taimur Alam Khandker's younger brother the then BKMEA vice-president Sabbir Alam Khandker was murdered. Zakir Khan was the prime accused of the case. He went into hiding when he was made accused  in Sabbir Alam Khandker murder case.
Police and BNP leaders said a conflict arose between influential politician Nasim Osman and Zair Khan when BNP came to power in 1991. Later, Zakir Khan joined BNP in 1994 under the supervision of BNP leader Kamal Uddin Mridha.
In 1995, Zakir got notoriety in Narayanganj city killing Deobhogh area's top terror Dayal Masud in broad-daylight murder behind the local Sonar Bangla Market.
Questioning Zakir Khan, RAB-11 also learnt that he had remained absconding in Thailand and had come to Bangladesh through India recently. Since then he had been living at Basundhara residential area with his family concealing his identity.