RAB arrests 4 in Chattogram Rifat murder case

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested four people, including the prime suspect in the widely discussed murder of Rifat in Chattogram’s Pahartali police station area.

In a press release issued today (13 July), RAB said, the four suspects were arrested in separate raids carried out yesterday in Sitakunda, Bayezid Bostami and Halishahar area of Chattogram.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Md Shamim, 35, Sazzad Alam Shuvo, 32, Maruf, 27, and Sumon, 30.

According to RAB, on 23 June, Md Rifat, a resident of Pahartali area, was lured from his home and taken to an area adjacent to the Abdul Sufi Chowdhury Garage area of South Kattali.

He was then allegedly attacked by a group of assailants. During the assault, he sustained critical injuries after being struck with a sharp weapon.

Local residents later took him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Following the incident, the victim’s brother filed a murder case with Pahartali Police Station, naming three suspects and accusing several others as unidentified.

RAB claimed that the prime suspect, Shamim, and Sazzad Alam Shuvo were arrested yesterday afternoon from the Jalil Textile Market area of Sitakunda. Based on information obtained from them, Maruf was later arrested from the Bayezid Bostami area, while Sumon was detained from Halishahar.

RAB-7 Deputy Commander Major Jalis Mahmud Khan said, “During preliminary questioning, the arrested individuals stated that Rifat was lured from his home and killed in a premeditated attack stemming from previous enmity.”

He added that the four suspects had been handed over to the relevant police station for further legal proceedings.