Rapid Action Team (Rat) of police arrested Liakot under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and produced him along with his two operatives -- Sohagh and Badal -- before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka at 4:30pm yesterday.

His bodyguard Sohagh and driver Badal were put on a three- day remands each.

Requesting remand, police said 11 criminal cases are pending against Liakot. He is also a chargesheeted accused in the Malibagh killings on February 13, 2001.

Rat arrested Liakot and his two henchmen at Dhanmondi on Wednesday as they were going to collect toll from a businessman.

Later, police also arrested his close associates Ali Hossain alias Jibon, Kamal Hossain and Gazi Shamim Ahmed in raids on different hideouts.

Liakot took up to student politics in 1975. He was then a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). He used Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall of Dhaka University as his den for nearly a decade, police said.

Liakot got involved in crime at the fag end of the '80s and got involved in smuggling, snatching tender and extortion. He also became the ringleader of a gang in which his younger brother Hannan, one of the most wanted 23 criminals of Dhaka, was the second man. Liakot was also the ringleader of the infamous 'Five Star' group.

He was arrested thrice during the Awami League rule. He was arrested by the Ramna police in 2000 when he went to snatch tender schedules from the Matshya Bhaban. Liakot was also declared unwanted in all state programmes by the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Liakot was also arrested during the Ershad regime and was in jail from 1985 to 1990. He was however released during the mass movement against Ershad in 1990.

The home ministry announced a reward of Tk 1 lakh for his arrest. Immediately after the announcement, Liakot fled to India.

Kolkata police arrested Liakot, his second-in-command Arman Khan and four other criminals at Kolkata New Market area on November 19, 2002 with two Italian-made 9mm pistols.