Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-7 of Chittagong arrested the suspect, Shafiqul Alam alias Shafi, in Comilla and brought him to its headquarters at Patenga in the port city yesterday morning.

Meantime, Kala Mahbub arrested in the abduction case yesterday gave his confessional statement before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Chittagong, reports BDNEWS.

Shafi's confession during primary interrogation matched with that of Sobhan and Kala Mahbub, indicating Maruf Nizam and Shahid Chairman's involvement in the whole episode.

Shahid Chairman however claimed he was involved in the abduction until the victim was handed over to another group to take him to a hideout run by Kashem Chairman in Fatikchhari.

But Sobhan, driver of the microbus used in the abduction, and Kala Mahbub repeatedly said Shahid, Union Parishad chairman of Anwara, is the culprit who supervised the abduction and 'murder', keeping close contact with Maruf Nizam, brother of ruling BNP lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam of Anwara.

Shahid Chairman was placed on remand for another five days from yesterday under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

During quizzing by Rab-7, Shafi confessed that under active supervision and directive of Shahid Chairman, he (Shafi) and five others -- Shahid Chairman's business partner Helal, Nazim, Yunus Babu, Ishaq, driver Sobhan and Ali -- picked up Jamal Uddin from Chandgaon Residential Area on July 24, 2003.

He also confessed that he along with same group had abducted Haji Munir and Mostafiz, a BRTA staff, for ransoms of Tk 70 lakh and Tk 7 lakh.

Shafi said he received Tk 2 lakh and Tk 1 lakh as his share of the ransoms realised in the two abductions.

He told journalists at the Rab headquarters he always maintained contact with Kashem Chairman, Shahid Chairman and Amar Das, the negotiator of the kidnapping syndicate.

Following the abduction, he went into hiding in India and returned around a month later. He heard from Shahid Chairman that Jamal was killed following a deal between Maruf Nizam and Kashem Chairman, he added.

He then went to Dubai, returned home about a month ago and was staying at a friend's house in Comilla.

Meantime, the Rab took Mahbub to the court and Metropolitan Magistrate Akaram Hossain recorded his statement last night.

Kala Mahbub is the second accused to confess his involvement in the "killing of Jamal". Earlier, driver Sobhan also confessed to DB police his link to the incident.