A recent spate of shootings and murders has shaken the port city, yet there has been little visible action from the Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

In the majority of these cases, police have yet to apprehend any of the main gunmen or recover the murder weapons, confirm police sources.

As of yet, there has been no real headway in at least four major public shootings.

Several police officials, requesting anonymity, admitted that in two of these incidents, the victims were listed criminals themselves -- leading to a lack of interest from law enforcement.

There's no sense of security here. We're living in fear after losing him.

AKBAR MURDER CASE

On May 25, Md Akbar, alias "Dhakaiya Akbar", a known criminal from the port city's Bayezid area, was shot in broad daylight at Patenga in front of bystanders. He died a day later at Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Police said he had 10 cases against him, including murder, arms, and extortion charges.

Akbar reportedly had a long-standing feud with another notorious Bayezid-based criminal, Sazzad Hossain, alias "Chhoto Sazzad". Before his death, Akbar had posted several videos on Facebook from his account while criticising Sazzad Ali alias "Boro Sazzad" -- a fugitive accused in the sensational "Eight-Murder Case" -- and his close accomplice, Chhoto Sazzad.

Police suspect the killing was a result of internal gang rivalry.

Akbar's family filed a case with Patenga Police Station against 11 individuals. Following the incident, Rab apprehended two relatives of Boro Sazzad -- his nephew Alvin and his brother Osman Ali -- and handed them over to the police. However, progress on the investigation appears to have since slowed.

Investigating Officer Amitabh Das, sub-inspector of Patenga Police Station, said, "Four accused have been arrested so far; two are currently out on bail. The weapon used has not been recovered."

Akbar was shot twice at close range with a pistol, the IO said, adding that the police believe the murder stemmed from a turf war.

When asked why the gunmen had not been identified, he replied, "There's no CCTV footage of the shooting. We've recorded eyewitness statements and are continuing efforts to catch the remaining accused."

SARWAR MURDER CASE

It has been almost a week, and yet the police are in the dark about the murder of high-profile gangster Sarwar Hossain, alias Babla, on November 5. He was shot dead in the city's Chalitatali area while accompanying BNP-nominated candidate Ershad Ullah during election campaigning for the Chattogram-8 constituency.

Investigators have yet to find any clue about who carried out the attack or how they escaped.

Sarwar's father, Abdul Kader, filed a case with Bayezid Bostami Police Station naming 22 people as accused. Police have arrested four of them so far, but the key suspects -- including Mohammad Raihan and Mobarak Hossain -- remain at large, and the weapon used has not been recovered.

The victim's brother, Alamgir, told The Daily Star "I saw my brother being shot right in front of my eyes. The attackers fired multiple rounds and fled openly without any resistance from law enforcement."

"There's no sense of security here. We're living in fear after losing him," said a visibly shaken Alamgir.

A day after Sarwar's murder, armed criminals shot and injured a CNG auto-rickshaw driver in the same area, heightening panic among residents.

Several CMP officials said that no precautionary or preventive measures were taken after these shootings. Two former police officials, who recently left CMP for another unit, said that in similar past incidents, large-scale block raids were immediately conducted, but no such response was seen this time.

Such inaction risks further emboldening the attackers to operate with impunity.

BAKALIA DOUBLE MURDER

On March 29, two men were shot dead in a brazen attack on a private car in the city's Bakalia area. Police said that the now slain Sarwar was also inside the car during the attack but had then somehow managed to survive.

The victims, Bokhtiar Hossain, 30, and Md Abdullah, 32, were both identified as known followers of Sarwar.

According to the murder case filed by the victims' families, the double murder was rooted in a feud between Sarwar and Chhoto Sazzad.

Feroza Begum, mother of one of the victims, filed a case with Bakalia Police Station, naming Chhoto Sazzad, his wife Tamanna Sharmin (as an instigator), and seven others as accused.

Two weeks before the double murder, Chohto Sazzad was arrested in Dhaka. In response, his wife Tamanna posted a video on social media threatening reprisal against those she believed responsible for his arrest. She was later arrested in June in the Bakalia double murder case.

Investigating Officer Mozammel Haque, inspector (investigation) of Bakalia Police Station, said, "We've arrested 10 suspects, including four named in the FIR, and recovered a foreign-made pistol. Three suspects were directly involved in the killings. Multiple raids have been conducted to catch the rest and recover the remaining weapons."

MURDER OF JCD ACTIVIST

On October 27, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activist Md Sazzad, 22, was shot dead in the city's Bakalia Bogar Beel area amid clashes over tearing down political banners.

At least 10 others were injured in the shooting incident. Party sources said the gunfight broke out between followers of Emdadul Haque Badsha, former organising secretary of Jubo Dal's Chattogram city unit, and Gazi Siraj Ullah, former president of the same unit.

Sazzad was reportedly a supporter of Emdadul.

Police named Borhan Uddin, a follower of Siraj Ullah, and Nazrul Islam, a leader of the pro-Awami League organisation "Tanti League", as accused -- but neither has been arrested yet.

Bakalia Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Mozammel Haque said, "We have arrested 11 suspects and recovered some weapons. Efforts are on to capture the remaining accused. The case is now being handled by the Detective Branch."

CMP CHIEF DENIES INACTION

When asked why the gunmen remain at large despite repeated shooting incidents, CMP Commissioner Hasib Aziz said, "Many of the main suspects are already in jail. Some are operating from abroad. One person has been arrested with weapons in the Bakalia double murder case. These criminals often hide in remote hilly areas outside the city and maintain links with hill-based armed groups."

"They use motorbikes to execute their targets and then flee quickly. We've conducted several raids but haven't caught them yet," he added

He denied allegations of police inaction.