Tufan’s brother among 3 killed in alleged gunfights

Three people were killed in what the law enforcement called gunfights in three separate incidents in Tangail, Bogura and Jashore early Friday.

The deceased were Putu Sarkar, 45, brother of suspended Bogura Sramik League leader Tufan Sarkar, Afzal, 35, from Tangail and Ratan, 27, from Jashore. 

Sramik League is the workers' wing of ruling Bangladesh Awami League aka AL party.

In Bogura, Putu Sarkar was killed in what police called a gunfight between two rival drug trading groups near Malatinagar Bhatkandi Bridge of the district town around 3:00am.

Confirming this to Prothom Alo, superintendent of police (SP) in Bogura Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan said that Putu Sarkar was accused in five cases.

He was the brother of Tufan Sarkar.

Tufan, suspended Bogura unit convener of ruling Awami League's workers front Sramik League, came to talks for shaving the heads of a female student and her mother after Tufan raped the girl.

Acting on tip off that two groups of drug traders were locked in a gunfight near Malatinagar Bhatkandi Bridge, a team of police went to the spot, the SP claimed.

Sensing the presence of police, the drug traders opened firing on them, which led the policemen to shoot back triggering the gunfight, he added.

The patrolling team of police recovered the bullet-hit body of Putu Sarkar after the gunfight ended, Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan said.

Police said they had seized 500 pieces of yaba tablets, two firearms and eight rounds of bullet from the scene.

In Tangail, UNB reports, a suspected drug peddler was killed in a reported gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Beguntal of Sadar upazila.

Deceased Afzal, 35, was a top listed drug trader, RAB said.

Tipped off that a group of drug traders gathered in the area for trading drugs, a team of RAB-12 conducted the drive in the area around 2:00am, RAB-12 commanding officer Rabiul Islam said.

Sensing presence of the force, the criminals opened fire on them that forced the RAB members to shoot back in self-defence, he said.

At one stage, RAB recovered the bullet-hit body of Afzal from the spot.

They also recovered one pistol, five bullets, 1,042 pieces of yaba tablets and 200 bottles of phensedyl from the scene.

Afzal was wanted in a number of cases, RAB officials said.

Meanwhile, police recovered the bullet-hit body of a young man from Koyarpara of Chougaccha upazila of Jashore district early Friday.

The deceased Ratan, 27, was the son of Abu Bakkar of Digholsingha village of the upazila.

Chougaccha police station officer-in-charge Khondaker Shamim Uddin said acting on a tip-off that two groups of 'criminals' were exchanging bullets, a team of police went to the spot around 2:30am and found Ratan's body lying on the road.

The police officer said then the law enforcement sent the body to the Jashore General Hospital Morgue for autopsy.

Police also recovered one shutter gun, two bullets, 200 pieces of Yaba tablets from the spot. Ratan was also wanted in several cases including that of police assault case, according to the police claim.

Ratan’s father Abu Bakkar said Ratan went out of the home on Thursday noon, but he didn’t return home ever since and his phone was switched off.

He said he received a phone call from the hospital and was informed that there is the dead body of a youth like that of Ratan.

Ratan’s father claimed that the members of law enforcement killed his son in a stage-managed gunfight in cool head as Ratan was involved in the politics of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

He, however, said his son used to do the peddling of drugs in the past, but not now. “He quitted drug peddling two to three years ago,” said Abu Bakkar.

Prothom Alo, however, could not verify the law enforcement’s version of the incidents independently as no version of it was available immediately either from any witness or from any member of the victim’s family.

With the latest deaths, at least 135 people were killed in 'gunfights' with members of law enforcement while 37 bodies of suspected drug traders were recovered after reported gun battles between rival groups during the countrywide anti-narcotic drives since 15 May.