Four firearms were also found in their possession, police said.
The detainees have been identified as Jakir Hossain, Arif Miah, Abul Kalam Azad alias Anir, Badrul Huda alias Shourav and Billal Hossain alias Roni.
On Jun 15, Farhad was killed after Jummah prayers at a mosque in Dhaka’s Badda, an area known for gangland violence and turf wars. He was killed instantly in a hail of bullets that pierced his chest and head.
He was the general secretary of the ruling Awami League’s Badda Union wing.
“The murder was committed to establish supremacy in the area and resolve an on-going dispute over the sharing of extortion money,” police said after detaining them.
“Top criminal Ramjan, Mehedi alias Collins and Ashik had plotted the murder and fled soon after the incident,” DMP additional commissioner Md Abdul Baten said in a media briefing on Saturday.
Amit, another suspect in this case, had been killed in a pre-dawn ‘shootout’ with police on Jul 4. Another suspect Johirul Islam Sujan is behind’s bar after his arrest.
“Sujan provided their names in his confessional statement at court, said additional commissioner Abdul Baten.
Police have arrested them from the Gulshan and Shah Ali Police Station areas according to the Sujan’s information, he said.
All of them have confessed their involvement in Farhad’s murder. They also confessed to receiving Tk 100,000 for the murder.