The killing of scrap trader Md Sohag in Old Dhaka stemmed from a bitter commercial rivalry, not political motives, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Additional Commissioner SN Md Nazrul Islam explained that Sohag had been involved in dealing stolen aluminium wires for nearly two decades. The wires, lifted from the Palli Bidyut grid, were resold to utensil factories.
“That business ran for 17 years,” Nazrul said. “Then another group from the same neighborhood entered the trade. It created friction, and that ultimately led to Sohag’s murder.”
Police have denied claims that the attack was linked to any broader effort to destabilize the government or influence politics.
“There’s no political agenda here,” Nazrul stated. “This was purely personal and commercial.”
Sohag was killed in broad daylight, a violent end to a turf war that had reportedly been escalating for some time. His death shocked the local community and raised questions about possible political links, which authorities now say do not hold up.
At the same briefing, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali gave an update on arrests. “We’ve taken nine people into custody so far,” he said. “One of them, seen throwing a stone at Sohag in video footage, was tracked down and arrested from Patuakhali Tuesday night.”
He added that two suspects were caught at the scene by police, and later, with help from witnesses and CCTV, seven more were picked up.
Among those arrested is Rezwan Uddin Abhi, who police say is a converted Muslim and the son of Manoranjan Basu and Beauty Deb Milla.
Efforts are ongoing to track down the rest. “We’re working round the clock,” Sajjat Ali said. “Everyone involved will face justice.”
When pressed again on political affiliations, the commissioner offered a measured reply.
“People can belong to any party. That doesn’t mean a political motive exists in every crime,” he said. “Sohag once used political links for protection, that’s true. He was close to a former commissioner named Pillu, who’s related to lawmaker Haji Selim. But that doesn’t mean this murder was political.”
The statement was direct. Authorities are focusing on a motive rooted in profit, not power.
For now, police say their focus remains on arrests and trial, not speculation. But in a city where crime and politics often overlap, some residents are still wondering how much more there is to the story.