BGB arrests ex-Raozan MP Fazle Karim near Akhaura border

The former MP is named in a case of abduction, ransom and framing others on Aug 19

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have arrested ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury former MP of Chattogram's Raozan, from Brahmanbaria's Akhaura border area.

Fazle Karim was arrested at 6:50am on Thursday while trying to enter India ‘illegally,’ said Shariful Islam, public relations officer of BGB Headquarters.

“The Fakirmora BOP patrol team arrested three people, including Fazle Karim Chowdhury, from Abdullahpur in the Akhaura border area. They were trying to enter India by crossing the border illegally,” said 25th BGB Battalion (Sarail) chief Lt Col Farah Md Imtiaz.

The other arrestees are former Nurpur Union Council member Md Hannan Molla, and Akhaura local and human trafficker Md Nayeem Chowdhury. They will be handed over to the Akhaura Police Station.

Fazle Karim was elected as MP for a fifth consecutive term from the Chattogram-6 constituency after running as an Awami League candidate in the 12th general election in January this year.

After the Awami League government fell, Sirajuddoula, the former chairman of West Gujra Union in Raozan, filed a case against Fazle Karim with the Chattogram Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Karim was accused of abduction, taking a ransom and then framing the plaintiff in an arms case two years ago.

The case dossier said that on Sept 12, 2022, the other suspects followed Fazle Karim’s ‘orders’ and entered plaintiff Sirajuddoula’s house in an ‘attempt to murder’ him. Then they looted gold jewellery and ‘abducted the chairman, keeping him trapped’.

Later, they ‘threatened to kill’ the plaintiff and extorted Tk 300,000 from him. The next day, they framed him in a ‘false arms case’ filed with the Raozan Police Station.