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Hasan Helal alias Pichchi Helal, and several others, including Badal alias Killer Badal alias Kaila Badal, Shahjahan, and Rony alias Dagari Rony, in connection with the rivalry.

According to the complaint, Titon had recently been in dispute with them over the lease of the Bosila cattle market. Investigators and family sources said he was called to the New Market area on Tuesday for a meeting to settle the matter, and was shot dead while returning.

No arrests had been made till filing of this report, but several teams from different law enforcement agencies were working to identify and arrest those involved.

Titon’s elder brother, Khondaker Saeed Akhtar Ripon, filed the case against eight to nine unidentified assailants with New Market Police Station yesterday morning, Mohammad Ayub, officer-in-charge of the police station, told The Daily Star.

In the complaint, Ripon said his brother was released on bail on August 13, 2024, after spending a long time in jail, and had wanted to rebuild his life through honest work.

A few days ago, Titon told Ripon that he had secured a lease schedule and hoped to earn a living through business. On April 26, he said he was in dispute with Helal, Badal, Shahjahan, and Rony over the Bosila cattle market lease.

The next day, he said he had been called for a meeting to resolve the matter and work together.

Later on Tuesday night, family members learned that Titon had been gunned down in the New Market area.

According to police, Titon entered the underworld in the early 1990s, first as a local gang member before expanding his network. He was also involved in arms trading and faced several murder cases, including the high-profile killing of businessman Babar Elahi.

His name appeared second on the government’s list of 23 top criminals in 2001. Law enforcers arrested him in the Dhaka Cantonment area in 2004. A decade later, he was sentenced to death in the Babar Elahi murder case.

Police officials said Titon, along with several other alleged top criminals listed by police, was released from jail after the fall of the Awami League government during the 2024 uprising. They said he did not appear in court afterward and was in “hiding”.

Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner (Detective Branch) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said at a press briefing yesterday that investigators had identified some suspects in connection with the incident.

“As you know, Titon himself was a listed top criminal. Initially, we believe the murder was linked to a dispute over control of the area.”

About the names mentioned in the complaint, including Pichchi Helal and Badal, he said police were acting on the complaint filed by the plaintiff.

“There was rivalry over dominance. As you know, Eid-ul-Azha is approaching, and there was also conflict over the cattle market. We will identify those involved and take legal action.”

Contacted by The Daily Star, Titon’s brother Ripon, said Titon visited his family in Jashore twice after being released from jail and stayed in touch occasionally through messaging apps.

Titon is also the brother-in-law of top criminal Sanjidul Haque Emon.

Ripon added that claims of conflict between Titon and Emon were inaccurate and intended to divert the investigation.

According to the family, Titon bought the schedule for the Bosila cattle market in the name of one of his friends. Meanwhile, Pichchi Helal allegedly secured the schedule in the name of Badal.

They said the two sides held several rounds of talks, during which Helal reportedly proposed a negotiation.

Ripon said Titon was supposed to submit the schedule for the cattle market lease yesterday.

Shimul, who is acquainted with Titon, said he was not alone at the spot and was accompanied by several men.

The family initially suspected Pichchi Helal due to the cattle market dispute and earlier rivalry over local dominance. However, they also mentioned another possible motive, saying the killing may have been linked to old enmity stemming from the murder case of Tipu, brother of former army chief General Aziz.

Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna Division, said no CCTV cameras were found at the crime scene, but police had collected footage from nearby areas.

He said the footage showed two people directly took part in the killing, while several members of the group may have been waiting nearby on four to five motorcycles to provide backup. Police were verifying issues such as previous enmity, local dominance, and lease disputes.

Dhaka’s underworld has remained active since the release of several top criminals in August 2024, with multiple killings and attacks reported amid allegations of dominance battles, extortion, property grabbing, and other criminal activities.

In January 2025, two computer shop owners, including Wahedul Hasan Dipu, president of Elephant Road Computer Baboshayee Kallyan Samity and elder brother of Pichchi Helal, were attacked with sharp weapons in the capital’s Elephant Road after refusing to pay extortion money.