C T Online Desk: Police apprehended a man on Friday night accused of firing on students and a crowd during an Anti-Discrimination Student Movement rally in Chittagong.
The detained individual has been identified as Towhidul Islam, 32, son of Md Sekandar, from the Shamsherpara area in Chandgaon, Chittagong.
Photographs of him brandishing a firearm and attacking protesters went viral on social media at the time of the incident.
According to police, the suspect fired 28 rounds at the students and crowd during the protest.
While police have not confirmed whether Towhidul holds any position in the Awami League or its affiliated organizations, they said that he is an associate of Esrarul Haq, a former councillor of the Chittagong City Corporation.
Following the fall of the government, Towhidul reportedly fled to the border district Satkhira, where he went into hiding.
Chandgaon police detained him on Friday night from the Kamalnagar area of Satkhira sadar.
At a press conference held on Saturday afternoon at the CMP office in Dampara, CMP Deputy Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Md Roish Uddin said: “Towhidul was apprehended from his hideout in Satkhira based on information from secret sources and technological surveillance.”
He added: “He confessed to firing on students and the crowd in the Chandgaon area on August 4, discharging 28 rounds that day. He is a professional criminal with at least a dozen cases filed against him for various crimes.”
Chandgaon police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aftab Uddin, said: “The weapon used by Towhidul was a Pakistani-made one-shooter gun. We have yet to recover the firearm, but an operation is underway based on his interrogation.”
