The miscreants had hired the golden colored microbus (Dhaka-Metro-Ga-14-9137) from a rent-a-car shop in Bashabo in Dhaka city on November 30 in the name of a trip from Zia International Airport to Nimtali in Srinagar in Munshiganj district, police said.

They killed its driver Selim and took away the vehicle.

Finding no trace after renting the vehicle, its owner Maminul Islam Dipu lodged a general diary (no.23) with Bashabo police station on December 1 last year.

The incident came to light when the decomposed body of Selim, 40, a native of Muladi upazila in Barisal district, was recovered from Baroikhali graveyard in Srinagar on December 6.

Srinagar police recorded a case, which was later transferred to Bashaboo police station under DMP.

After investigation police arrested Zahangir, Badal and Yunus, a ring leader of a car lifters, from Khilgaon areas in Dhaka city.

Acting on their confession, a 4-member DB team from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) led by Inspector Md. Salahuddin, with the help of Barisal Kotwali Police, raided the house of Mahmudul Huq Mamun alias Khan Mamun, joint convener of Barisal district Jubo League Monday morning and recovered the microbus.

Its golden colour was changed to ahs colour.

Mamun told police that he bought the microbus at Tk 4.5 lakh from Mozahar Hossain, a Sramik League leader in Shariatpur.

Jubo League is opposition Awami League's youth front and Sramik League is its labour front.

On other hand, arrested Yunus, a native of Babuganj in Barisal district, confessed to killing driver Selim and selling the stolen vehicle at Tk 60,000, police said.

Mamun was not arrested as he produced "proper documents", police said. After the recovery, the DB team filed a general diary with Barisal Kotwali police and left for Dhaka yesterday. The microbus was kept in the custody of Barisal police.