Journo among 2 held with firearms

Detectives arrested two persons with firearms and sharp weapons in Mymensingh town early yesterday.

The arrestees are Sheikh Mehdi Hasan Nadim, 35, managing editor of local newspaper Dainik Jahan, and his accomplice Rassel, 30, police said.

On information, a team of the Detective Branch of police raided Nadim's house at Mashkanda around 4:00am and recovered two pistols with six bullets and sharp weapons, said Imarat Hossain Gazi, officer-in-charge of DB Mymensingh.

Materials for making firearms and sharp weapons were also found, he said.

A case was lodged against the duo with Kotwali Police Station under the arms act and the explosive substances act.

Md Abdur Rashid, assistant superintendent of Kotwali police, said that in the primary investigation, police found Nadim's involvement in drugs trade.

The two were being interrogated as of the filing of this report, the OC said.

Nadim's mother Prof Rebeka Yeasmin, editor of the Dainik Jahan, claimed that police had not found any firearm in his possession.

Describing the recovery of arms as a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the daily and the family, she rejected her son's involvement in drugs trade as well.

Police said Nadim has confessed to having been involved in drugs trade over the last five years and that he had even tried to make magazine and triggers of pistol for the last two years.

He also told police that he had links with a notorious arms and drugs trader of the town, the ASP said.

Police, however, did not disclose the name of the notorious arms trader for the sake of investigation.