5 shot dead as law enforcement reports gunfights
Five people were killed in what the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) called gunfights in the capital, Cox’s Bazar and Pabna early Tuesday.
The law enforcement claimed that among the deceased two were robbers, two were drug traders and remaining one was a member of an outlaw party, reports news agency UNB.
In Dhaka, two unidentified ‘robbers’ were killed in a reported gunfight with the members of RAB-2 in Rayerbazar around 3:30am.
Being informed that a gang of robbers was staying behind Rayerbazar Graveyard, a team of RAB-2 conducted a raid there around 3:30am.
Sensing the presence of the elite force, the gang members opened fire on them, triggering the gunfight.
The gunfight left the duo injured with bullets, added UNB quoting the law enforcement.
The injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where the on-duty physicians declared them dead around 6:30am, said sub-inspector Bacchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.
The team recovered three pistols, bullets and sharp weapons from the spot.
In Cox’s Bazar, two suspected drug traders - Abdus Samad, 27, son of Md Shah Alam, of Sitakundu upazila in Chattogram district and Abu Hanif, 30, son of Nazmul Sarder of Jashore district-were killed in a reported gunfight with the members of RAB-7 in Morichya area of Ukhia upazila around 2:30am.
Mehedi Hasan, company commander of RAB-7, said that a RAB-7 team set up a check post in the area. When a truck was passing through it, they signalled it to stop.
However, denying signal, the drug traders opened fire on the elite force from inside of the truck, forcing them to retaliate which triggered the gunfight.
After the gunfight, the team recovered two bodies from the spot.
The RAB official said that they recovered 130,000 pieces of yaba tablets and a foreign pistol, one shooter gun, eight-round bullets and eight-round bullet shells from the spot.
Add: Gunfight story
In Pabna, Korban Hossain, 36, a suspected leader of regional outlaw party was killed in a reported gunfight with the police in Koijari village of Ataikula upazila around 1:30am.
Korban is son of Kiamuddin Pramanik of Jatrapur village in Ataikula upazila of the district.
Being tipped off, according to the law enforcement, a team of police conducted a drive in the area, said Masud Rana, officer-in-charge of Ataikula police station.
When the team reached there, the outlaw gang opened fire on them, prompting the law enforcers to fire back, triggering the ‘gun battle’, leaving Korban dead on the spot, the law enforcement added.
Four policemen were also injured in the incident, said the OC, adding that they recovered a revolver, four cartridges, two cartridge sells, 20 yaba tablets and a motorcycle from the spot.
Korban was accused in several cases including murder and robbery, said the police official.
Prothom Alo, however, could not verify the law enforcement’s version of the incidents independently as no version of them was available immediately either from any witness or from any member of the victim’s family.
Quoting rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra, Malaysia-based newspaper New Straits Times reported that around 200 people were killed till July since the anti-drug crackdown in May.