Personal tragedy for militancy nemesis
Media: The Independent
The name Babul Akter is a menace to militants. He successfully conducted several raids against militant outfits and busted their dens. He indulged in ‘encounters’ with JMB leaders and investigated terror-related cases while working as the additional deputy commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP). Recently, he has been promoted to the rank of the superintendent of police. But his dauntless fight against militants met a tragedy as his wife Mahamuda Khanam Mitu was shot dead by some JMB members yesterday. The terrorist outfit picked a soft target in his wife as they could not thwart the police officer.
Babul played an active role in curbing the drug culture and militancy in Bangladesh. He received countless threats for his courageous stand against militancy.
The Independent yesterday contacted Abdul Jalil Mandal, additional director general of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), who was CMP commissioner during Babul’s stint there. He said: “Babul was always active in curbing militants. He received threats from different plat forms. For this reason, I think his wife’s murder was committed by militants.” On October 5, 2015, a team of DB, led by Babul Akter, at Khowajnagar under Karnaphuli police station of Chittagong detained five JMB leaders. Nine hand grenades, a pistol, 120 rounds of bullets, 10 knives, bomb-making explosives, two motor bikes and two bicycles were found in their possession. Babul was saved miraculously from a grenade attack on that day. Three of his men were seriously injured in the attack.
The law enforcers arrested JMB explosive branch chief Javed alias Taufiqul Islam, 24, Bulbul Ahamed, 26, in-charge of the JMB operation wing, Md Sujan alias Babu, 25, Mahabub, 35 and Sohel alias Kajal, 35 on the spot. Around 12 hours after the raid, the arrested JMB explosive branch chief Javed alias Taufiqul Islam was killed in a ‘grenade explosion’ at Ananya Residential Area under Bayazid police station.
From this drive, Babul was able to dig out the motive behind two sensational murder incidents in the city—the murder of Rahmatullah alias Lengta Fakir, 55, and his disciple Abdul Quader, 30 at ‘Lengta Mamur Mazar’ in Banglabazar area under Bayezid police station on September 4, and the triple murder case involving the killing of a business firm manager at Sadarghat area of the port city on September 23.
This raid also helped the police officer to trace the link of militancy in Chittagon. He started to get death threats from the JMB soon after this incident. He, however, did not pay heed to those and continued to work relentlessly.
On December 27 last year, a team of DB, led by Babul Akter, busted a den of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) at Amanbazar area and recovered an MK-11 sniper rifle, used by US Navy SEAL units, 250 rounds of bullets, 10 detonators, around five kg of explosive gel, 12 military uniforms, a pair of badge of an army major, jihadi books, and equipment used for making crude bombs. The DB also detained three JMB members from different parts of the city but could not arrest the mastermind of the JMB’s Chittagong unit military commander, Fardin, as he was not in the den. During his stint in Cox’s Bazar as additional police supper, Babul busted another den of JMB at the hilly areas of Naikhongchori upazila in Bandarban and arrested some members of the militant outfit.
In 2007, he unearthed the motive behind the sensational murder incident of ‘Six people of family’ that had taken place at Vela Nagar under Narsingdi district. He nabbed the accused and submitted the charge-sheet in the case. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “There might be militant links behind the murder of the wiofe of Babul Akter. They killed his wife because they failed to get him. Recently, Babu; was promoted to SP for his courageous job against militancy.”
