Published : 30 Jul 2026, 02:07 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:28 AM
Alleged gangster David Emon, who rose to notoriety through extortion and organised crime after Bangladesh's 2024 political transition, has been arrested.
Police captured Emon, whose real name is Mobarak Hossain Emon, along with three associates from a private car on the Narail-Jashore highway early on Wednesday.
According to Jashore police, the group was allegedly trying to cross the border into India illegally. Officers also noted that Emon, once known for his trademark moustache, had shaved it off by the time of his arrest.
Originally from Kanchannagar Union in Chattogram's Fatikchhari Upazila, Emon is identified by police as a close follower of fugitive Chattogram crime boss Sajjad Ali Khan, better known as Boro Sajjad.
Police said Emon previously collected money from sand quarries in Raozan before emerging in the criminal underworld after Aug 5, 2024, under the patronage of Sajjad's associate known only as Raihan.
Within a year, investigators say, he had become one of the city's most feared gang figures, linked to murders, extortion and armed attacks.
Officers familiar with Chattogram's criminal networks told bdnews24.com that Emon rose quickly because of his marksmanship and keenness to use firearms. He later helped oversee part of Boro Sajjad's network alongside Raihan.
Investigators say Emon spent recent months demanding extortion money from business owners and property developers on Sajjad's instructions.
On Jul 13, police say he demanded Tk 20 million from the owner of internet service provider Digital Dot Net (DDN). When the demand was refused, the company's office was allegedly vandalised and looted.
His name has also surfaced in the January shooting at former lawmaker and Smart Group Managing Director Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury's home, the Mar 30 double murder at Chandanpura Access Road, the May 23 killing of “gangster” Dhakaiya Akbar, and the Nov 5 murder of Sarwar Hossain Bablah.
