A death row convict, Abdul Majid, 39, was arrested on Wednesday by the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) during a raid near Cox’s Bazar's Sugandha Beach. Majid had been on the run since escaping from jail in August 2024 and was sentenced to death in 2014 for the murder of a 14-year-old boy, Asif, in Natore.

Acting on intelligence surveillance and secret information, the ATU apprehended Majid in the Sadar Police Station area of Cox’s Bazar District, according to Barrister Mahfuzul Alam Rasel, Superintendent of Police (SP) for the ATU’s media wing.

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The case dates back to July 4, 2006, when Abdul Majid killed 14-year-old Asif during a dispute at a local arbitration meeting. Majid had allegedly entered the home of a local woman with malicious intent and was caught by residents. When the local Union Parishad member called for a community arbitration, Majid became enraged and fatally struck Asif, the member’s nephew, with a hoof in front of witnesses.

Asif’s grieving mother, Momtaz Begum, filed a murder case on July 7, 2006, with Singra Police Station. Following an investigation, police submitted a charge sheet to the local magistrate court. After years of legal proceedings, the Additional Sessions Judge Court of Natore sentenced Majid to death on October 27, 2014. He was subsequently detained at Kashimpur High Security Jail.

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Majid’s escape occurred on August 6, 2024, during widespread unrest, vandalism, and chaos at Kashimpur Jail following the fall of the Hasina government amid anti-discrimination student protests. Taking advantage of the disorder, Majid managed to flee and went into hiding.

Investigators later discovered that Majid had relocated to Cox’s Bazar, where he was reportedly planning to flee the country. Acting on precise intelligence, the ATU tracked his movements, verified information, and arrested him during the raid.