He was interrogated by a team of five officers-in-charge of Kotwali, Uzirpur, Babuganj,Gounadi thanas and Detective Branch (DB) police at the Kotwali thana during remand. Selim made statements under Section 161, police said.

An accused in several cases including seven for murders, Selim was arrested from Hotel Raj in Moghbazar in Dhaka city on July 30 by DB police and sent to Barisal. Selim was taken on three days remand in college student Sumon murder case.

On expiry of his remand on Monday, Selim was produced before court here yesterday for fresh remand.

Police said Selim, a member of the notorious Sarbahara group, confessed his involvement in the murders of college student Sumon and freedom fighter Shahjahan in Babuganj, Jubo Dal leader and Sarbahara cadre Khokon in Gournadi and arms looting from police in Uttara in Dhaka.

Selim said he was initially involved with local Sarbahara Kamrul Group. After Kamrul's killing, he joined the opponent Sarbahara Zia Group.

He said all the political murders were done on orders from the 'party high command'.

Police said, Selim also gave information about murders of Montu Bepari, Union Parishad chairman and Awami League leader Aboni Baroi, Workers Party leader Hiralal and Babulal Shil. But he denied his involvement in the murders.

He claimed that Aboni was a member of Kamrul group, who later joined the Zia group and murdered Kamrul. So Aboni was killed to retaliate the murder.

Selim said he had demanded toll from Hiralal, but was refused.

So Selim had attacked the house of Hiralal, but received severe electric shock from the electrified security fencing around his (Hiralal's) house. Hiralal was murdered after the incident. Police said they suspect that Hiralalwas murdered by Selim.

Selim acknowledged his close ties with major political party leaders in the region and said Sarbahara leaders of Zia group in Gournadi and Kamrul group in Babuganj supplied him arms after he organised a separate terrorist gang.

But the arms were returned to the suppliers after 'operations' and he possessed no firearm, he said.

Selim told police that Manik of Mankkati, Jalil of Agorpur, Hemayet of Isaldi, Habul and Lalon of Narayanpur were his close associates.

Police suspects that Selim was also involved in robberies at Shikarpur and Torki Bandar.

Selim said constable Golam Dastagir, who was in the police patrol team from which he an his men had snatched arms in Uttara in Dhaka is a brother of Sarbahara cadre Mamun. Mamun helped them establish contact with police, Selim claimed. Constable Dastgir is now in custody.

Later talking to some journalists at the Kotwali thana, Selim however declined divulging all the information to police during interrogation.

Police prepared a statement and tortured him to say that this was his statement, Selim claimed.