In a village in Gowainghat Upazila, Sylhet, a young man attempted to remove two children from a car and flee. Villagers, suspecting him of child abduction, chased and detained him, later handing him over to the police after assaulting him. During police questioning, shocking details about the detainee emerged.

The suspect was identified as Riazul Islam, also known as “Shooter Riaz”, the notorious leader of a criminal gang from Narayanganj. On Wednesday at around 4:00 pm, police rescued him from the villagers in Alirgram, Gowainghat and took him into custody.

According to police and local sources, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had been tracking Riazul after receiving information about his presence in Gowainghat. At the time, Riazul was traveling in a car with his two daughters toward Alirgram. Realizing that law enforcement was pursuing him, he left the children on the veranda of a house and attempted to escape. Villagers, noticing the suspicious act, chased and caught him, and in the ensuing commotion, assaulted him before the police arrived. Both Riazul and the two children were taken into custody, and the car he used was seized. Police later confirmed his identity as the notorious criminal, Shooter Riaz.

Golam Rabbani, Chairman of Gowainghat Upazila Sadar Union Parishad, told the press that he had arrived at the scene to calm the agitated villagers in the presence of police. Initially, the situation was thought to be a misunderstanding, as it was believed that the father of the children had taken them out due to a family dispute. However, police questioning revealed the shocking truth.

According to the Union Chairman, Riazul had been trying to evade the RAB, leaving the children behind in an attempt to escape. He had come to the area along with his wife.

OC Md. Tarikul Islam of Gowainghat Police Station said that preliminary investigations showed Riazul had 15 cases filed against him. He had previously fled from a police checkpoint in Gowainghat using a private car. The police had been searching for the vehicle even before confirming his identity, and further information is being collected. Authorities have been informed to take necessary legal action.

In April 2022, the RAB arrested Shooter Riaz along with four associates in Narayanganj. At the time, Riazul was accused in 15 cases, including murder, and had been leading multiple criminal gangs. His gangs were involved in a variety of illegal activities in Rupganj, Sonargaon, and nearby areas, including land grabbing, illegal sand filling, control of earth-cutting businesses, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.