Awami League leader Mahmudul Alam Babu, also a UP chairman in Jamalpur, masterminded the murder of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim because of a personal vendetta against him over news reports.

"It was a planned murder. Nadim's reports on the chairman involving a woman and different anomalies angered the chairman which led to the murder," said Rab Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Khandaker Al Moin.

Babu led the attack staying near the scene, he told a press conference at the Rab Media Centre in the capital's Karwan Bazar yesterday evening.

He said Babu, chairman of Sadhurpara Union Parishad in Jamalpur's Bakshiganj upazila, used his "terror gang" for the attack and murder.

Rab detained Babu, 50, and two of his associates -- Moniruzzaman Monir alias Monirul, 35, and Zakirul Islam, 31, -- from Chilahati union in Panchagarh's Debiganj upazila yesterday morning.

In the afternoon, another Rab team picked up Rezaul Karim, 26, from Dupchanchia upazila of Bogura.

The detainees were later brought to Dhaka.

The Rab director said that 10-12 people took part in the attack on Nadim, Jamalpur district correspondent of Banglanews24.com and also the Bakshiganj upazila correspondent of Ekattor TV.

He said Nadim, 42, was on his way back home in Pathati area of Bakshiganj Bazar around 10:00pm on Wednesday. Babu and his goons ambushed him at a quiet place.

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When Nadim along with his colleague reached there on a motorcycle, Rezaul pushed the journalist off the bike and Monir hit him first, Al Moin added.

The incident was caught on a nearby CCTV camera.

Later, some of Babu's men came running from behind, dragged the journalist to a alley and started beating him, said the Rab official.

The attackers also beat up Nadim's colleague when he tried to save the journo. As some locals came forward hearing Nadim screaming, Babu and his men fled.

The journalist died of his wounds at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital on Thursday.

The Rab director said Nadim recently wrote several reports on Babu's misdeeds. This enraged Babu who threatened the journalist and also filed a case against him under the Digital Security Act.

"The Cyber Tribunal of Mymensingh dismissed the case. As Nadim wrote on Facebook about the dismissal of the case, Babu became more angry and planned to teach Nadim a lesson."

Following the incident, Babu hid at a distant relative's house in Panchagarh's Debiganj upazila to avoid arrest.

The Rab official said Babu is accused in several cases filed with different police stations of Jamalpur.

Yesterday, Nadim's wife Monira Begum filed a murder case with Bakshiganj Police Station, accusing 22 named and 20-25 unnamed persons. Babu was named as the prime accused, said Sohel Rana, officer-in-charge of the police station.

The other accused include Babu's son Fahim Faisal Rifat, 22, joint convener of Bakshiganj upazila Chhatra League, Rakibullah Rakib, 28, upazila AL assistant publicity secretary, and Gazi Aman Ali, 55, member of Sadhurpara Union Parishad.

According to the case statement, Babu masterminded Nadim's murder for his reports on the former's corruption and anomalies.

The OC said that they arrested nine accused and the Rab picked up four more, including Babu.

Babu, his son Rifat, and Rakib were suspended from the AL and Chhatra League yesterday for violating discipline of the organisations.