Finally Rab arrests Shahed

A man was trying to cross the Ichamati River in Satkhira's Debhata upazila near the border with India. After a few minutes, he jumped off the boat and hid himself behind a sewerage drain. 

A team of Rapid Action Battalion's intelligence wing already cordoned off the area and caught the man who was trying to enter India by boat. 

The man was none other than Md Shahed alias Shahed Karim, who was absconding since July 6 when a Rab team conducted drives at two branches of his Regent Hospital in Uttara and Mirpur. 

Shahed was arrested in a case filed over his alleged involvement in a recent Covid-19 testing scam and other irregularities.

Sarwar Bin Kashem, Rab intelligence wing director, said Regent Group Chairman Md Shahed was wearing a burqa (a garment which covers the body and the face) when Rab men arrested him.

Nurul Islam, a resident of Komarpur village in the upazila, said, "There is a small sewerage drain next to the Komarpur Bridge. Shahed was hiding in that sewerage drain wearing a burqa. Fishermen first thought that he was an insane person."

Shahed was hiding in a sewerage drain wearing burqa while arrested

"Later, three cars of the Rapid Action Battalion arrived and detained him," said Nurul Islam.

After his arrest, he was taken first to the Satkhira Rab camp under Rab-6 and was immediately flown to Dhaka from there by a helicopter.

"Shahed shaved his moustache and beard. His hair was basically white, but he coloured it black. He also planned to have his hair cut. If he had escaped, he might have also shaved his hair," Rab Additional Director General (Operations) Colonel Tofail Mostafa told journalists in Satkhira following Shahed's arrest. 

"We were following his activities. He was changing his destination frequently. He contacted the brokers to flee to India through the border river Ichamati," said Colonel Tofail in the press briefing.

Shahed also rented a boat to cross the India border. The boatman fled the scene when Rab arrested Shahed. 

"We will also arrest those brokers who tried to help him fleeing," Colonel Tofail added.

The Rab recovered a pistol, three rounds of ammunition and a magazine from his possession.

Based on information given by Shahed during initial interrogation, a Rab team conducted another drive in a flat in Uttara-11 sector at 12:26pm on Wednesday and seized fake notes worth Tk1.46 lakh from there, said Ashique Billah, director of Rab's legal and media wing.

At 3pm on the day, Rab Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun briefed the media and answered journalists' questions at the headquarter premises.  

"Shahed wandered in Dhaka, Cox's Bazaar, Shatkhira and different areas of Cumilla concealing his identity. Eventually, he opted to cross the border through Shatkhira," he added

Shahed was traveling sometimes by private car, sometimes by other transports. He walked for a while and even used a truck while roaming.

"We followed him when he was on the run. If we could trace every point he was passing, we could catch him there. When we could pinpoint him, we apprehended him," said the Rab director general.

Asked if he was sheltered by anybody while went fugitive, he said, "He has been just arrested. We could tell more after thoroughly interrogating him."

Shahed was basically arrested based on the information provided by Masud Parvez, managing director of Regent Group Ltd, who was arrested on Tuesday evening.

However, the Rab director general did not reply to a few questions including why the Rab team took Shahed's photo without unarming him. 

"I do not know much regarding this matter, but I will look into it," he added. 

At evening the Rab handed over Md Shahed to the investigation authority of the case -- the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). 

DMP Detective Branch Joint Commissioner Mahbub Alam told the media that they would seek 10 days of remand for Shahed for further investigation.