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Published : 27 Apr 2026, 03:23 PM
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) says that a gang of robbers is involved in the murder of customs officer Bullet Bairagi, whose body was found on the side of the highway in Cumilla.
RAB-11 commander Lt Col HM Sajjad Hossain said four members of the gang were lying in wait with an autorickshaw on the night of the incident.
When Bairagi alighted from a bus, three people, posing as a driver and passengers, called him over and convinced him to get into the autorickshaw.
The customs official was then threatened with a weapon and robbed of his mobile phone and wallet before he was pushed off the moving vehicle.
Following the arrests of five people in connection with the case, RAB says that they are all “professional robbers”.
The arrestees are Md Sohag, Ismail Hossain Johnny, Imran Hossain Hridoy, Rahat Hossain Jewel and Sujon, identified by a single name. They were arrested in an operation in different parts of Cumilla on Sunday.
At a press conference held at the RAB's media centre in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Monday, the RAB-11 commander said Bairagi's mobile phone has been recovered from Sujon.
"The remaining four were directly involved in the murder. There are multiple cases involving theft, robbery and drugs against each of them."
Bairagi, 35, went missing on Friday night on his way back to Cumilla after attending training in Chattogram.
The next morning, police recovered his bloodied body from the side of the road next to a hotel in the Kotbari area on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
Bairagi was an assistant revenue officer in the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, and was assigned to the Bibir Bazar Land Port in Cumilla.
From there, he went to Chattogram for the 44th basic training on Apr 11.
His mother Nilima Bairagi filed a murder case with the Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Police Station on Saturday night, accusing unknown people over his killing.
The next day, RAB-11 official Sajjad spoke about the interrogation of five people in custody in connection with the incident.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, he said: "All those involved in the murder have been arrested. Many more are involved in this gang. They will be uncovered by subsequent investigations."
Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB's Law and Media Wing, said: "The arrestees had been targeting passengers coming from far and wide at night, taking them on CNG or autos, threatening them with sharp weapons, assaulting them, and committing various crimes, including robbery.
"On the night of the incident, they were waiting in the Jagarjhuli area of Cumilla with a CNG for the purpose of robbery."
When Bairagi reached Jagarjhuli around 3am and got off the bus, the group asked him where he was going.
After he said Jangalia, Sohag and Hridoy, who were posing as passengers inside the autorickshaw, asked him to sit with them.
"After the CNG left for Jangalia, Sohag and Hridoy attacked Bullet Bairagi with sharp weapons and started intimidating him. A scuffle then ensued with the victim."
“At one point in the fight, Johnny pulled out a knife and threatened the victim, beat him up and snatched the victim's cash, money, mobile phone and other belongings."
Quoting the initial interrogation of the arrestees, RAB officer Intekhab said: "When the autorickshaw crossed the Kotbari Bishwa Road, they pushed the victim and threw him out of the moving CNG and fled."
Bairagi died after being hit in the back of the head by the kidnappers with sharp weapons and then being thrown off the moving vehicle, said the director of the RAB's legal and media wing.
The police also said Bairagi had a serious injury on the back of his head.
The deceased's family said Bairagi boarded a Dhaka-bound bus from Alankar More in Chattogram around 11pm on Friday to return to Cumilla. He was supposed to get off at the Cumilla Bypass on the way.
He last called at 2:25am to say that he had reached the Tomson Bridge intersection in Cumilla city.
However, his mother Neelima Bairagi said the last time she spoke to him, her son's voice sounded “unfamiliar”.
When Bairagi did not come home, the family called and found that his mobile phone was switched off.
After searching for him without a trace, the family filed a general diary (GD) at the Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station on Saturday morning.
Soon after, police reported that his body was recovered from the side of the road.
Bairagi had said on his mobile phone that he had reached Thomson Bridge and that he would get down at the Paduarbazar stop to reach the area.
When asked why he got left the bus at Jagarjhuli instead of getting down there, RAB-11 captain Sajjad said: "This is the next station after Paduarbazar. It could have happened late at night, maybe he was sleeping. He got down after crossing the station.
"We can't actually say what happened. Only the person himself could tell why he got down at the next station."
Bairagi hailed from Gopalganj’s Tungipara. He joined the Dhaka Customs Office as a non-cadre staff in the 41st BCS.
Due to his job, he used to live in a rented house with his family in the Panpatti area adjacent to Rajganj in Cumilla city. In addition to his father, mother, and wife, he also leaves behind a one-year-old son.
