Infamous Paban captured

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Akhter Hamid Paban, son of immediate past BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, was placed on a two-day remand yesterday in an arms case.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Paban on Tuesday night raiding a Japan Garden City apartment in the city’s Mohammadpur area following the leads gathered from three of his associates arrested by Rab earlier on Monday.

Paban’s associates — Anwar Hossain, Masud Ali alias Apu and Delwar Hossain alias Ratan — were also placed on two days’ remand in the same case filed with Pallabi Police Station.

Paban’s cousin Nahid alias Mota Nahid, now on the run, is also an accused in the case.

Police quoting the case statement said on Monday, acting upon information that criminals were preparing to hijack a taxicab, Rab first apprehended Anwar and Masud from Dhaka Flood Protection Embankment at Panchabati near Pallabi with two illegal foreign made firearms — a pistol and a revolver — along with nine bullets and a motorbike.

During interrogation, Anwar and Masud informed Rab that they got the firearms from Delwar, who had obtained the arms from Paban’s cousin Nahid.

Following their statement, Rab arrested Delwar the same day from Pallabi. Delwar admitted that he had collected the firearms from Nahid. He also said that the owner of the firearms is Paban — who often rented out his firearms, said the case statement.

As Rab continued their manhunt for Paban, they succeeded to capture him from a flat at Japan Garden City of Mohammadpur. All the accused have confessed to all the charges brought against them, added the case statement.

It was also stated in the case statement that the accused formed an organised armed gang led by Paban and carried out criminal activities throughout the city.

Sub-Inspector Khairuzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, also the Investigation Officer of the case, produced the arrestees before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, Dhaka with a prayer for seven days’ remand for each of them.

The court, however, granted two days’ remand for each.

Defence lawyers demanded cancellation of the remand prayer saying that the charges brought against Paban were false and fabricated, as the law enforcers did not recover any firearms or ammunition from his possession. They also claimed that the charges have been brought against Paban to harass him.

On Tuesday, the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court issued arrest warrant against Paban for his involvement in a carjacking case.

Paban, the youngest son of Khandakar Delwar Hossain, is accused in at least a dozen criminal cases including drug dealing, land grabbing and extortion. His gang is known as “Batash Bahini” (wind gang) in Manikganj.

Paban was arrested two times before, but was released on bail.

In February 2005, police arrested Paban from near his house at Armanitola in the capital for vandalising a phone-fax shop and creating panic by opening fire at the shop owners.

On September 12, 2005, four cases were filed against Paban and one of his brothers, Dablu, with Ramna Police Station for forcefully taking possession of a large number of stores at Motaleb Plaza in the Hatirpul area.

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