Drug Gang’s Advanced Security Network Grips Tongi’s Haji Mazar Slum; Suspicions Deepen Over Link to Tahsif’s Death

M R Nasir, Tongi (Gazipur)

Haji Mazar slum sits on the bank of the Turag river in Tongi, Gazipur. It has long been known as a major center of drug trade. Locals say a strong network of drug dealers and their own security system make it hard for ordinary people to move freely. Even police need a large team and special preparation to raid the area, and locals say it is risky for law enforcement to enter at night without a joint operation.

Residents say the dealers’ own men guard the entrances of the slum. They control movement with walkie talkies and CCTV cameras. A stranger who wants to enter must get permission over the phone. Some residents, who did not want to be named, say the dealers practically control the whole area at night.

In this crime prone area, the mysterious death of former Flight Lieutenant Mr. K M Tahsif Sauri (28) has raised fresh concern. He entered the slum with his friend Mr. Ahmed Shahriar Reza Deep on the night of 27 October. What happened on the Turag riverbank after that is still a mystery. Sources close to the investigation say Mr. Deep told investigators that some people chased them and Mr. Tahsif jumped into the river. It is still unclear who chased them and why they went there.

Two roads in, river on the other two sides

The slum lies in Ward 57 of Gazipur City Corporation, on the bank of the Turag river. It is about 500 yards from the main road linked to the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. People can enter through Mazar Road and Honda Road. These two roads run along two sides of the slum, and the Turag river lies on the other two sides.

Locals say guards at the two entrances control who comes and goes. The dealers’ security system uses walkie talkies and CCTV cameras. This lets them watch everyone who enters or leaves at all times.

An attack on a team of detective police also took place in the area before. Reports say that a few years ago, drug dealers attacked a raid team and injured several police members, including an inspector. Most recently, on 26 October in daylight, a local journalist was allegedly kidnapped and taken to the slum. He was allegedly tortured and an attempt was made to kill him.

He was reportedly released after about two hours of torture. He is still in the hospital with serious injuries. After a case was filed at the police station, police arrested two people from the slum. On the night of 27 October, the day after the attack on the journalist, Mr. Tahsif and Mr. Deep went to the area near the Turag river in the slum.

Information from the investigation and police analysis of CCTV footage show that they entered the slum. The footage shows Mr. Tahsif and Mr. Deep entering through Mazar Road at 12:52:29 am on 27 October. Another clip shows three motorcycles, each with two riders, entering the slum together. Mr. Tahsif was reportedly on the first motorcycle.

Tongi West Police Station recovered a motorcycle early on Friday (30 October) from the Senakalyan area of Honda Road. This is about a quarter of a kilometer from Mazar Road. Sub Inspector Mr. Ekhlas Uddin Faraji of the station said police got word from locals around 3:15 am on Friday. Locals said the motorcycle had been lying there for two days. It was covered in dust and had no number plate.

Police took the motorcycle to the station, and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later seized it. Mr. Tahsif left his home in Uttara on the evening of 27 October. At 1:35 am that night, he sent his mother a voice message saying he was coming home. No one heard from him after that. His body was recovered the next afternoon, 28 October, from Rajbari Ghat on the Turag river.

PBI took his friend Mr. Deep into custody over the incident. On Friday morning, PBI members visited the area near the Turag river in Haji Mazar slum with Mr. Deep. They acted on clues from the recovered motorcycle and the CCTV footage. Sources say Mr. Deep claimed that some people chased them and Mr. Tahsif jumped into the river while he fled.

Nothing is confirmed yet about who the chasers were or whether they had any dispute with Mr. Tahsif or Mr. Deep. It is also unknown what happened to Mr. Tahsif after he jumped into the river. Mr. Deep was handed over to the river police as part of the investigation into a case filed at Uttarkhan Police Station. He was later taken on remand.

Locals say drug trade, mugging and other crimes have gone on for a long time in Haji Mazar slum and nearby areas. The slum lies beside the Turag river at the meeting point of Dhaka and Gazipur. Because of lonely roads, the riverside location and the influence of criminal gangs, even ordinary people feel unsafe.

People are asking how the criminals gained such influence and who runs the gang. They also ask whether any powerful group supports them. Locals say isolated raids cannot change the situation. They say authorities must also find the source of drug money, the supply system and the patrons of the gang.

Investigators are looking for answers to several questions. They want to know why Mr. Deep took Mr. Tahsif to the area and what their purpose was. They also want to know whether drug dealers or some other party chased them. Those involved believe that important information may come from identifying the owner of the motorcycle, analyzing CCTV footage and questioning people linked to the case.

The name of Haji Mazar slum has come up in the mysterious death of a former Air Force officer. This has brought the area’s crime situation and security back into discussion. Local residents demand effective steps to uncover the truth behind Mr. Tahsif’s death. They also want the drug network broken to ensure public safety.