Finally, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Kushtia arrested AZM Samrat who was accused for association with banned outlawed party and infiltrate into Awami Juba League from the politics of Jatyiatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) with firearms and ammunitions.
After arrest, Rab handed Samrat over to Kushtia police on Monday evening.
However, Samrat’s family claimed that a group of 20/25 people in white clothes had picked up Samrat from the Tahaj More of Patikabari area of Kushtia Sadar upazila in the evening of on July 26. However, Rab told that a special team of Rab-12 arrested Samrat from the said area around 4 am on July 27.
Rab recovered three foreign pistols, three magazines and nine rounds of ammunition recovered from him.
Later in a statement Rab said Samrat has been named as a top terrorist in Kushtia. He is also a top ally of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz’s chief Aminul Islam Mukul.
Rab also claimed that Samrat has been carrying out various terrorist activities including tender manipulation. He holds illegal weapons.
Meanwhile, Samrat’s mother Shahnaz Sultana Boni, who is a reserved female member of wards 1, 2 and 3 of Kushtia municipality, claimed that Samrat left the house with one Rassel who is driver of Kushtia town unit general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League also chairman of Kushtia Sadar upazila Parishad Ataur Rahman Ata to go to the house of Kushtia district unit general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Saad Ahmed at Patiakabari in Kushtia sadar on Sunday afternoon. He took his personal private car.
Samrat’s mother also said that on way back from Saad Ahmed’s house, a group of 20/25 people in white clothes stopped Samrat’s car and took him away at around 8 pm with one Din Mohammad, an ally of Samrat.
After come to know the incident, Samrat’s family could not find out the whereabouts of the Samrat even after searching a lot, the mother said.
Rab handed over Samrat to Kushtia Model Police Station at around 5 pm on Monday.
DEBATE OVER SAMRAT
The debate over Samrat began in 2014 when he was given the post of joint convener of Kushtia town unit Juba League. He was already known to have been a terrorist on the police list when he was given the post. Besides, he was president at Kamlapur ward unit of BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal since 2006. He he was awarded the Jubo League’s post despite holding his positions in JCD.
A team led by the then Additional Superintendent of Police in Kushtia Sohail Reza raided the office of Samrat at Thanapara area on August 20, 2016. Police recovered 3 bullets and 3 magazines from there.
The raid was made over killing a BCL activist during a clash between two groups of Awami Swechchhasebak League in the district on August 15, 2016 over giving flowers to Bangabandhu’s mural.
Police however, failed to arrest him. Samrat was then expelled from the post of joint convener of the Jubo League.
On October 5, 2016, a team of Kushtia District Detective Police raided the office of the Samrat in Majampur and arrested him with a revolver and six bullets.
But he managed his releasing from police.
Ziaul Islam Swapan, general secretary of Kushtia district Juba League, said Samrat had long been removed from Juba League politics.
However, several sources close to Awami politics in the district told that even though he does not hold any post in the Awami League, he is close to several top Awami League leaders in the district.