A fresh joint combing operation by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) launched about a week ago showed little success.

The government on October 23 last year announced bounties varying from Tk 20,00 to Tk five lakh for information leading to arrest of the hardened outlaws including Tapan Malitha who created a reign of terror in the area.

But most of them are still at large in their respective areas.

They are doing party activities and collecting toll through grassroots cadres. Some of them are controlling party activities staying in a neighbouring country, the sources said.

The wanted hardened outlaws include Abdur Rashid Malitha alias Tapan alias Dada Tapan, Jamal Uddin alias Rabi alias Nuruzzaman, Abir Hasan, Rony Biswas, Sahjahan, Azad, Thandu, Amirul, Habibar alias Oltu, Mizanur alias Major, Rabiul, Mozammel alias Moka, Sahidul, Khorshed, Shomser alias Sama, Tomsel and Kismat.

Sources said Jamal is now the chief of PBCP-ML after the death of its founder Mofakkarul Hossain in crossfire on December last year.

Dada Tapan leads the Janajuddho faction of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) and Rony Biswas heads the PBCP-communist War.

A bounty of Tk 5 lakh was declared for arrest of Tapan Malitha, Tk one lakh each for Rony and Abir. Others carry bounties varying from Tk 50,000 to 20,000.

The sources claimed that the outlaws are active in Hatbolia, Atharo Khoda, Bhangbaria, Asman Khalai, Enayetpur,Hardi, Polkadanga and Jadabpur villages in Alamanga upazila;, Loknathpur and Swandeshpur in Damurhuda upazila and Munshiganj and Kodikhali villages in the Sadar upazila in Chuadanga district.

In Alamdanga, some locals said two top leaders of PBCP-Janajuddha, wanted in at least 25 murder cases each, are often seen in their areas.

Police sources in Chuadanga seeking anonymity said crimes including murder increased in the district in the last three months. They recorded 12 murders in January, 10 in February and 13 in March. Outlaws were behind most of those, they said.

“Law enforcers are trying to net the criminals and we hope to succeed,” Chuadanga police superintendent said when contacted over cell phone.

Kushtia SP Masud-Ul-Hasan expressed the same view.

Two outlaws with Tk 50,000 bounties each were killed in 'crossfire' with police and Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) in Chuadanga in last two months. They are Somsher Ali alias Sama, 35, of Iswarchandrapur village in Darshana upazila in Chuadanga and Rezaul Haq alias Kalu of Dorbeshpur in Meherpur Sadar upazila.

Sama of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) was killed on February 12. Kalu of PBCP janajoddha was killed on March 31.

According to data available from law enforcing agencies, at least 12 outlawed parties with about 10000 cadres and a huge quantity of illegal firearms are active in the southwestern districts.

Several anti-crime drives including the Operation Clean Heart and Operation Spider Web were launched earlier but there has not been any significant success in rooting out outlaws.

Law enforcers alleged that the outlaws are operating under the shelter of a section of leaders of major political parties. This is the main problem, they said.

Outlaws in the region are used by political parties during election, mainly to rig vote. They are also used for personal gains or hired for murder.