Six Years On, Bus Driver’s Killers Still Unidentified After Fake DB Raid

A group identifying themselves as Detective Branch (DB) officers stopped a passenger bus on a highway, armed with pistols, handcuffs, torches and walkie-talkies. They pulled the driver from the vehicle and beat him to death. The attackers then fled in a microbus, a private car and a jeep.

The incident took place six years ago near the Shikalbaha Bridge, on the southern side of the Karnaphuli Bridge in Chattogram. At the end of last month, the city’s Detective Branch submitted its final investigation report to the court. The report acknowledges the killing but states that the assailants could not be identified. It also claims no DB personnel were involved—echoing a previous police report.

The victim was Jalal Uddin, a bus driver from Dinajpur. He was killed on the night of 22 April 2019. His family and other drivers say it is unacceptable that no suspect has been identified in six years. The case plaintiff plans to file a petition rejecting the report. A court hearing on accepting the report is scheduled for 4 November at the Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Md Musha, president of the Chattogram regional committee of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, told Prothom Alo he was astonished that even after two investigations, no one was identified. He demanded arrests and justice.

Jalal’s wife, Elina Khanam, expressed her despair:
“Forget justice—police haven’t even identified the killers in six years. Will we be denied justice because we’re poor? Will my children never know who murdered their father?”
She supports her three sons alone; the eldest is disabled and the other two are still young. She says her family has been living in hardship since Jalal’s death.

How the Attack Unfolded

According to case files and family sources, Jalal drove for Shyamoli Paribahan. On 22 April 2019, he was traveling from Cox’s Bazar to Gazipur with passengers. Around 11:30 p.m., four men claiming to be DB officials stopped the bus near the Shikalbaha Bridge in the Patiya–Karnaphuli area. Accusing him of carrying yaba, they began beating him. Witnesses said there were 10–12 men in total. After assaulting him, they left him injured in the bus and fled. He was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The inquest report noted injuries to his back, waist, knees and wrists. Jalal’s younger brother, Jewel Hossain, filed a murder case at Karnaphuli Police Station against unidentified attackers. The case statement said the men who boarded the bus carried pistols, walkie-talkies and handcuffs.

The killing sparked outrage among transport workers nationwide. On 23–24 April, the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation called a strike across 88 routes, including Dhaka, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.

Witness Accounts and Initial Investigations

Initially, Chattogram's Counter Terrorism Unit handled the investigation. On 26 April 2019, the bus supervisor, Azim Uddin, and a local eyewitness gave depositions in court. Azim said the bus left Cox’s Bazar at 8 p.m. with 28 passengers. Around 11:30 p.m., four men stopped the bus posing as DB officers, wielding handcuffs, pistols, walkie-talkies and flashlights. They accused the driver of carrying drugs, cuffed him, dragged him out and beat him. They appeared to be between 35 and 40 years old. After the assault, they fled in a jeep, a Hiace van and a private car.

The local witness, a security guard, said the first vehicle was a microbus carrying four or five men. Then a jeep and a private car arrived. He could not identify any of the attackers.

After three years of investigation, Inspector Sanjoy Kumar Sinha of the Counter Terrorism Unit submitted a final report to the court on 16 July 2022. It confirmed that Jalal died from assault injuries, as stated in the postmortem report. However, the report claimed the suspects could not be traced due to the remote location, absence of CCTV footage and lack of vehicle registration numbers. It also stated that no member of Chattogram DB was involved.

The plaintiff rejected the report, and the court ordered further investigation by the Detective Branch. DB Sub-Inspector Zainal Abedin submitted another final report late last month. Like the previous findings, it states that Chattogram DB officers were not involved, and that no police personnel were present—verified through digital tracking. He said the Hiace and jeep used in the crime could not be traced.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, SI Zainal Abedin said: “It is true the man died from beating, but since the perpetrators were not identified, a final report was filed.”

Family Seeks Justice Again

Jewel Hossain, the plaintiff and brother of the deceased, said he will file another petition opposing the second report.
He argued:
“If the police in Chattogram are not involved, then who are these people posing as law enforcement? It is impossible for an ordinary gang to block a bus on a busy road and carry out such an attack. Whoever did this must be identified and brought to justice.”