Organised gang threw Bullet Bairagi out of moving auto-rickshaw: RAB

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has revealed that the murder of customs officer Shahidul Islam, widely known as "Bullet Bairagi," was the handiwork of an organised highway robbery gang that targeted lone passengers travelling on the Dhaka-Chittagong route. 

Speaking at a press briefing at the RAB Media Center in Karwan Bazar on Monday, RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director, Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, said that five arrested suspects have confessed to the murder during initial interrogations. 

According to RAB's investigation, on the night of April 24, Bairagi was targeted after getting down from a bus on his way back from Chittagong. 

The gang lured the officer into a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw. While the vehicle was in motion, the assailants beat Bairagi and attempted to rob him. Leaving him with critical injuries, the gang threw him out of the moving auto-rickshaw on the side of the highway, where he died on the spot. 

Chowdhury noted that the gang had been operating on the highway for a long time, specifically tailing passengers who were travelling alone to exploit their vulnerability. 

RAB officials believe more members of the syndicate are still at large, and targeted operations are ongoing to apprehend them. 

Security surveillance along the nation's major highways has also been heightened to prevent similar organised crimes. 

The arrestees, who face multiple prior cases involving theft, robbery, and drug offenses across various police stations, are currently undergoing further legal proceedings, Chowdhury added.