Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said on Saturday that Swechchhasebak Dal leader Azizur Rahman Musabbir was murdered over extortion and dominance in the capital's Karwan Bazar area.
"The murder was carried out on the instructions of Dilip, alias Binash, centring on extortion money," he said.
"We are trying to dismantle these syndicates and will launch drive soon," he said while briefing the media at DMP Media Centre on Saturday morning.
Mr Shafiqul Islam, also the chief of the Detective Branch (DB), said that eight to nine syndicates are involved in collecting extortion money in Karwan Bazar, both openly and covertly.
When asked about the identities of the suspects, Shafiqul said they should be described as extortionists rather than political activists.
"Extortionists have no political ideology," he said. "They take shelter under various political banners solely for the purpose of extortion."
He said that the murder was carried out at the instruction of Dilip, alias Binash, centring on extortion money.
"We are trying to dismantle these syndicates and will launch drive soon," he said.
Musabbir, a former general secretary of the Swechchhasebak Dal's Dhaka North City unit, was shot dead on January 7 in an alley near Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.
His wife filed a murder case with Tejgaon Police Station the following day, accusing four to five unidentified assailants.
On January 11, DB police arrested four people - Zinnat, 24, Abdul Kadir, 28, Md Reaz, 31, and Md Bilal - in connection with the killing.
Police arrested another alleged shooter, Rahim, from Narsingdi on Friday (January 23, 2026), bringing the total number of arrestees to five.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
