RAB arrests man who brandished firearm during polls day
Shamim is accused of being involved in various types of unlawful activities such as extortion, betting, and exerting influence in Khulshi and its surrounding areas in Chattogram
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested Shamim Azad, alias Black Shamim, who allegedly opened fire during a clash in Chattogram's Pahartali area during national elections on Sunday.
The weapon used by Shamim has also been seized during a raid conducted by RAB.
Members of the elite force arrested him at Kumira area under Sitakunda upazila of the district on Monday night and seized the foreign pistol and two rounds of ammunition, RAB-7 Senior Assistant Director (Media) Mohammad Nurul Abshar told the media.
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Jahirul Alam Jasim, ward councillor of Uttar Pahartoli and joint convener of the Awami League (AL), told The Business Standard that Shamim is an activist of Chhatra League, student wing of the ruling AL.
Shamim, a former student of MES College, is known as a follower of Chittagong City Corporation Ward Councillor (Pahartali) and MES College Student Union VP Wasim Uddin Chowdhury. Local people also identified him as a Chhatra League activist although he does not hold any position in the party.
When contacted, Wasim Uddin Chowdhury said, "I have been the VP of MES College for a long time. Thus, I have a lot of followers and Shamim can be one of them."
According to RAB, Shamim is accused of being involved in various types of unlawful activities such as extortion, betting, and exerting influence in Khulshi and its surrounding areas in Chattogram.
Shamim was sued more than five times for weapon-related and other cases and served three prison terms in these cases.
Reportedly, a group led by Shamim Azad tried to create panic among the public by firing shots to disrupt the election environment at Pahartali Degree College centre under Chattogram-10 constituency on Sunday. Shamim was seen firing indiscriminately with a foreign pistol. Two people namely Shanto Bara and Jamal were seriously injured in the firing incident.
