Police arrest three, including prime accused, recover pistol, bullets and other items in Khulna. Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Aug 24, 2026 (BSS) - Police have arrested three people, including the prime accused, in the murder case of Jubo League (banned) activist Md Ismail in the city's Tutpara area and recovered a foreign-made pistol, bullets and other items from their possession.

The prime accused, Md Fardin Khan, along with Md Raihan Molla and Saiful Howlader, was arrested from different parts of the city on Sunday, police said here today.

Police recovered a foreign-made pistol and three rounds of bullets, three shotgun cartridges, nine SIM cards of different mobile phone operators and five T-shirts bearing the logo of the criminal outfit 'B Company' from their possession.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Khulna Police Station Md Shafiqul Islam said police had been searching for Fardin Khan for a long time.

"Fardin was arrested from Tutpara Main Road on Sunday afternoon. Later, acting on information provided by him, police nabbed Raihan and Saiful from the Lobonchara Police Station area around 12:30 am," he said.

The OC said a foreign-made pistol and three rounds of bullets were recovered from Raihan while three shotgun cartridges were recovered from Saiful.

He said Fardin is accused in four murder cases, one arms case, one drug case and another case. Police are investigating all aspects of the cases, he added.

A press briefing was held at Khulna Police Station in connection with the arrests.

Deputy Commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Md. Rezaur Rahman said Ismail was killed over a drug-related dispute and attempts to establish control over the area.

He said the arrested criminals were close associates of top criminal 'Grenade Babu' and claimed that they had no political identity.

"Grenade Babu has no connection with any political person. If anyone is found involved, action will also be taken against them," the KMP official said.

He said law enforcers would bring criminals to justice regardless of how organised or planned their crimes were.

Ismail, 32, a Jubo League (banned) activist, was shot dead at around 12:30 am on July 30 last in the South Tutpara Boro Khalpar area of Khulna city.