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The father of slain Chattogram BNP activist Sarwar Hossain Babla has alleged that his son was killed on the orders of fugitive gang leader Sajjad Hossain, known locally as “Boro Sajjad”.
Sajjad, who is currently abroad, has been named as the prime suspect in a murder case filed by Sarwar’s father Abdul Kader at Bayezid Bostami Police Station on Friday.
Bayezid Bostami Police chief Jashim Uddin told bdnews24.com that seven people were named in the case, while another 15 to 16 unidentified individuals were also accused.
Sajjad’s name tops the list of suspects, according to bdnews24.com.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, when Ershad Ullah, BNP candidate for Chattogram-8, was conducting his election campaign.
Gunfire erupted during the campaign, killing Sarwar and injuring Ershad Ullah along with four others.
In the case statement, Kader alleged that his son had long-standing business disputes with the suspects, who had repeatedly threatened to kill him.
He said an earlier shooting incident in March on Bakalia Access Road, which left two people dead, was also aimed at his son, though Sarwar narrowly escaped.
Kader claimed that last week, Sajjad called Sarwar on WhatsApp from abroad and threatened him, saying: “Your time is up, eat whatever you want while you still can.”
Boro Sajjad rose to notoriety in the late 1990s as an armed cadre of Islami Chhatra Shibir.
He has been named in several murder cases and remains on an Interpol Red Notice under the name Sajjad Hossain Khan.
During his years in Chattogram, Sajjad controlled the city’s mafia alongside Nurunnabi Maxon and Sarwar.
In July 2011, Maxon was arrested, and based on his information, police later arrested Sarwar.
Sarwar reportedly had a long-standing feud with “Chhoto Sajjad” over extortion, dominance and local control in Bayezid.
Chhoto Sajjad was believed to have been backed by Boro Sajjad. He is said to have managed an arms cache in Chattogram owned by Boro Sajjad. Chhoto Sajjad is currently in prison.
When asked why Sarwar had repeatedly been targeted, his elder brother Alamgir avoided a direct answer, saying: “There are many things involved. If you’re brave enough to write about it, come to our home, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Sarwar’s father Kader insisted that his son was deliberately targeted and killed to make way for the Sajjad duo to seize control of his business.