Shahidullah,36, a commissioner of Chittagong City Corporation's South Bakalia Ward, is accused of several criminal cases including two murders. He is the prime suspect in Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Rana murder case, sources said.

Tipped off, the Rab team encircled his house at about 4:00am. Sensing their presence, Shahidullah skipped off the house through a rear door and hid in a nearby shanty from where he was arrested.

According to his confession, the elite force later recovered a foreign-made revolver, a sawn rifle, a bullet and a sophisticated knife from his bedroom.

He was being quizzed at the Rab-7 headquarters at Patenga until afternoon.

While talking to reporters yesterday, Shahidullah blamed his uncle Idris Alam, also an AL leader and a columnist, for his arrest.

"He (Idris) was a candidate in the last city corporation election and suffered a heavy defeat. Now he has avenged the defeat helping Rab to my arrest," Shahidullah said.

Shahidullah was earlier arrested twice in the last two years but came out on bail. He was first arrested during the countrywide special anti-crime drive, Operation Clean Heart.

Sources said four more brothers of Shahidullah have a history of crimes and the eldest one is now serving a 30-year imprisonment.