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Published : 06 Nov 2025, 02:53 PM
Sarwar Hossain Babla was shot "at a close range" during a public relations event for BNP leader Ershad Ullah, his father said.
His elder brother, however, said that there had been two previous attempts to kill Sarwar. He claims that while Sarwar survived those attempts, the killers have now succeeded.
Sarwar was shot dead in Khandakiya Para of Bayezid Bostami Chalital area on Wednesday evening. He was a criminal listed by the city police.
At the time of the killing, Sarwar’s father Abdul Quader was standing only a few yards away.
Quader spoke to bdnews24.com while standing at the scene on Wednesday and said that party leaders and activists, including Ershad Ullah, had offered prayers at the Izzat Ullah Shah Mosque. After prayers ended, Sarwar took BNP leader Ershad Ullah to distribute leaflets at the nearby shops.
Kader claimed that he was standing in front of the shop where Sarwar was murdered, and said: “I was standing a short distance away. Sarwar was there, so I didn’t go near Ershad Ullah. At that moment, suddenly, there was the sound of several gunshots.”
“Everyone ran in all directions, and one person wearing white clothes fell to the ground.”
With a voice choked by emotion, Quader said: “Today, Sarwar was wearing a white shirt and white pants. I thought it was Sarwar; I ran to him and held him. I took an auto-rickshaw and headed towards the hospital. On the way, I had to use a CNG auto-rickshaw."
Showing blood stains on his clothes, he continued: “My son was lying with his face down on my lap. He was bleeding from his chest as well as his mouth.”
“There was blood in the autorickshaw, the CNG autorickshaw. That’s when I realised my son was gone.”
Meanwhile, a video of the shooting went viral on social media. It shows BNP leader Ershad Ullah distributing leaflets at a shop along with his supporters. Sarwar, dressed in a white shirt, is standing behind him.
At that moment, a young man suddenly enters the crowd of activists and shoots Sarwar at close range with a pistol. Seven to eight shots were fired in a row.
Sarwar's brother Aziz Hossain told bdnews24.com that a group had been threatening to kill both brothers at different times. It was that group that shot Sarwar, he said.
"Those who came infiltrated the group of activists. Others stood a little further away. They opened fire as they faced him. Seven or eight rounds were fired."
Aziz claims that they always travelled carefully after receiving threats at various times.
“Today it was the MP's public relations event, so we did not expect any incident.”
Sarwar’s father also said that his son had been receiving threats at various times.
He said, “Various people, including police and lawyers, asked Sarwar to be careful many times. He always had a few people with him. But today, Sarwar asked them to leave due to the public relations event.”
Who could have caused the incident? Sarwar's father and brother both blame a man named Raihan.
They also named several others who are followers of the imprisoned “top criminal” Chhoto Sajjad.
Kader said, "Raihan threatened Sarwar with death over the phone at various times. For this reason, we also filed a general diary at the police station."
KILLERS SUCCEEDED ‘ON THIRD TRY’
Alamgir Hossain, another brother of Sarwar, told bdnews24.com: "There were two attempts to kill Sarwar before this. But he survived. Now he has been killed on the third try."
On Mar 30, a private car was chased and shot at in the Chandanpura area of Chawkbazar Thana. Sarwar was sitting in the seat next to the driver. Bakhteyar Hossain Manik and Md Abdullah were killed in the shooting that day.
Sarwar, the “key target” of that shooting, fled the scene tactically.
WHO IS SARWAR?
Sarwar and his friend Nurunnabi Maxon came into the limelight about a decade and a half ago in connection with different criminal activities in Chattogram. At that time, they were known as close associates of Sajjad Hossain, one of the accused in the murder of eight Chhatra League leaders in Chattogram.
The name of Sajjad, the son of Abdul Gani Contractor of the Chalitali area, made headlines in the late 1990s. At that time, this young man, known for connections the Islami Chhatra Shibir, was accused in many cases, including on charges of murder.
Sajjad was sentenced to death by a lower court for the murder of eight Chhatra League leaders and activists in Chattogram on Jul 12, 2000. He was later acquitted by the High Court in the case. A red notice is still pending from Interpol to arrest Sajjad.
When Sarwar got into a dispute with Sajjad, he formed a new group. Then Chhoto Sajjad, aka Burir Nati Sajjad became a henchman of Sajjad.
Maxon was arrested from the Singerbil area of Brahmanbaria in July 2011. Based on information provided by him, the police arrested Sarwar from Chattogram’s Bayezid.
An AK-47 rifle, two pistols, an LG, two AK-47 rifle magazines, and bullets were recovered from Sarwar and Maxon.
Sarwar and Maxon were released on bail in 2017 and went to Qatar. It was alleged that they were running extortion rackets in the country during their stay.
Sarwar was in Qatar for about three years. There, the police arrested him over a fight and sentenced him to one month in prison. After the sentence was completed, they deported Sarwar to his home country, and on Feb 8, 2020, police arrested him at Dhaka Airport.
After being released on bail following nearly four years in prison, Sarwar was arrested again by police on Jul 27, last year during the Students Against Discrimination Movement. He was later released on bail after Aug 5 last year.
AN OLD FEUD
Conflicts and clashes between the followers of Chhoto Sajjad and Sarwar were reported many times over large swathes of the Bayezid and Chandgaon areas due to different criminal activities, including extortion. Chhoto Sajjad used to run an extortion racket on behalf of Boro Sajjad, while Sarwar ran his own extortion racket.
On the afternoon of Oct 21, last year, a young man named Tahsin was shot dead by men in a black car while he was having tea at a shop in the Adurpara area of Chandgaon Thana. The main suspect in the incident is Chhoto Sajjad.
Chhoto Sajjad was arrested from Dhaka's Bashundhara Shopping Mall on Mar 15. People in Sajjad's group suspect that Sarwar's followers were behind his arrest.
WHY THE CONFLICT?
Sarwar and Chhoto Sajjad became embroiled in a dispute over extortion and dominance in the Bayezid area. And Sajjad, aka Boro Sajjad, who was once connected to Chhatra Shibir, patronises the Chhoto Sajjad force.
Sarwar's father claims that his son was targeted and killed in an attempt to take over the business.
According to him, Sarwar ran a business selling bricks, sand, and iron. He also did earth filling work. Boro Sajjad and Chhoto Sajjad wanted to take control of the business and that is why Sarwar was murdered.
Although Sarwar rose to power under the guidance of Boro Sajjad, Sarwar eventually formed a separate faction due to internal conflicts. Boro Sajjad was angry about this, which led to his followers using Chhoto Sajjad to continue the conflict with Sarwar.
The Chotto Sajjad group is now waging a “reign of terror” in the area on behalf of the Boro Sajjad, who has fled abroad.
Some local and police sources say that for several years, Boro Sajjad, living abroad, has been gaining followers in various areas of the city and the district, including Raozan, Rangunia, Fatikchhari, and Banshkhali, in addition to the Bayezid area, to "build a kingdom."
He also controls the sand business, but Sarwar was barring Boro Sajjad's followers from collecting extortion money from these areas. This enraged Boro Sajjad.
Sajjad’s followers were involved in shootings in different areas after they failed to collect extortion payments. Some of them were latter caught by law enforcers. Sajjad believed that Sarwar had caused their arrests.
Sarwar also allegedly became an obstacle to extortion at buildings under construction and three-wheeler stands in the Bayezid area.
