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| Afghanistan/South Asia | |
| Stoolies, Rats and Crossfires, Oh My! | |
| 2005-06-07 | |
A bloody conflict between two criminal syndicates — Seven Star and Five Star — to rule Dhaka's underworld has gained momentum with both factions out to put their opponents in trouble by informing the RAB and police of their location and movement.
Mentioning the arrest of Arman, the third most powerful figure in the Five Star gang, he said it would further weaken the gang and strengthen the position of their rivals in the Seven Star gang. 'The arrest of Arman is a big setback for the Five Star gangsters since they lost two fighters — Pichchi Hannan and Nitel — last year,' the operative, who was recently released from the Dhaka Central Jail, told New Age. Hannan was killed in 'crossfire' by RAB on August 6 in Savar, and Nitel was found dead in Tejgaon, a day after the fierce gunfight between the battalion and Hannan's armed men in Uttara on June 25. In the struggle over establishing supremacy in the underworld, the Seven Star gang is in a better position since it enjoys the blessings of some influential people, including a recently emerged figure in the ruling party. Under the leadership of the infamous Subtrata Bain, none of the 10 main members of the Seven Star gang could be nabbed or 'killed in crossfire' in the yearlong drive against criminals, due to the blessings of some powerful quarters. The country's crime world was under the absolute control of Hemayetuddin Auranga till January 1991. He then controlled the whole city with the help of his two fellow gangsters, Musfiqur Rahman Hannan and Liakat Hossain Liakat. Auranga, who was once a Chhatra League cadre, fled to India after killing a member of an intelligence agency near Sakura Bar in 1981, and Hannan and Liakat were jailed for 45 years in different cases of murder, extortion and abduction. In the absence of these three leading figures, Dhaka's criminals used to crowd the residence of a former Awami League leader on Elephant Road. They were locked in a conflict over personal enmity and for establishing supremacy. Many of them used to visit Hannan and Liakat in jail to remain in their good books. Auranga returned to Dhaka after the fall of Ershad in 1990. Hannan and Liakat were also released on bail and they tried to regroup again. But the criminals were already split into two groups led by Hannan and Liakat. Police arrested Liakat in 1991 on the charge of murdering Dr Milan. Auranga supported Liakat as both came from Shariyatpur, conspired against Hannan and implicated him in the Moniruzzaman Badal murder case. Badal, central organising secretary of Chhatra League, was killed at Jagannath Hall in January 1992 because of a conspiracy hatched by Auranga. The conspiracy put Hannan in a false position and he decided to leave the crime world after his marriage in 1993. His gang members came under the leadership of Subrata Bain and Golam Rasul Sagar and clashed with the Auranga-backed Liakat syndicate. Of the then Dhaka's criminals, Pichchi Hannan, Kala Jahangir, Arman, Jisan, Roni, Bikas, Prokas, Nitel, Alauddin, Killer Abbas, Aga Shamim, Kajal and Asru joined the Liakat faction, while Murgi Milon, Joy, Golam Rasul Sagar, Imam Hossain Imam, Molla Masud, Neuton, Joseph, Tanzil, Kochi, Tikka, Asif, Kala Liakat, Jarif, Natka Babu, Murad, Manik, Chanchal, Julu and John joined hands with Subrata. Due to personal enmity with Liakat, another notorious criminal, Sweden Aslam, supported Subrata and helped his gang to rise quickly. Serving life-term imprisonment for a murder, Aslam also helped to kill three criminals at Aga Masi Lane to clear the way for Subrata. Pichchi Shamim and Tokai Mizan, two criminals of Dhaka University, joined Liakat's gang. As the two syndicates fought against each other to consolidate their position in the crime world, numerous gunfights took place in the city, leaving dozens of hardened criminals dead. Many were also killed because of infighting in the gangs. The feud of the two crime syndicates was first revealed by a fierce gunfight at the Dhaka City Corporation in 2000 over controlling tender documents. The fight left Tokai Sagar, now staying in USA, injured by five bullets, and the conflict between the Seven Star and Five Star gangs reached its peak. Murgi Milon of Hatirpool was gunned down in the premises of the Dhaka Metropolitan Court in 2000. His rivals, Pichchi Hannan, Kala Jahangir and Dakat Shahid, opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. Tikka played a vital role for Subrata until he fell prey of Liakat and Arman who hatched a conspiracy and conducted a raid along with Detective Branch personnel in Kalapani of Mirpur and caught Tikka. They tortured and finally killed him by mixing poison with saline in September 2001. Tikka's family then filed a murder case against Liakat, Arman and two officers of the Detective Branch. After the killing Subrata assigned Mukul, the principal accused in the Kuril, Badda arms haul case, to tackle Liakat and Arman. After the BNP-led government announced a list of most-wanted criminals on December 27, 2001 along with rewards for their arrest, the crime lords fled the country or hid in Bangladesh. To escape arrest, many criminals crossed the border and went to Kolkata in 2002, but returned whenever necessary by using their influence and paying huge bribes. In November 2002, Kolkata police arrested Liakat, Arman, Nitel and Kala Jahangir along with firearms, acting on information given by their rival gangsters. Police released Nitel and Kala Jahangir the following day, having failed to ascertain their identities, but Liakat and Arman were produced at the court and the court released them on bail after 12 days. Liakat and Arman fled Kolkata, and police arrested Liakat from Dhanmondi in 2003, and Arman hid somewhere in the capital since he could not stay in India due to the warrant of arrest. He was arrested by RAB on Friday, reportedly on information provided by his rivals. | |
| Posted by:Steve |