Murder accused dies in ‘gunfight’ 5 hours after killing woman

A murder accused was killed in what police called a gunfight with them in Bakalia area of Chattogram early Sunday, just five hours after he allegedly killed a woman.

The gunfight took place in Bolirhat area of Bakalia around 3:15am, said Shah Md Abdur Rouf, additional deputy commissioner (south) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

Deceased Shah Alam, 32, was involved in the murder of Bubli Akhter, 27, in Bolirhat area, police claimed.

The law enforcement said Bubli, mother of two daughters, came to her father’s home in Bolirhat area two days before the incident. Shah Alam and several other young men attacked them around 10:00pm Saturday due to previous enmity with Hasan, a local youth and friend of Bubli’s younger brother Rubel.

They pointed firearms at Rubel and asked him Hasan's whereabouts. When Rubel said he did not know anything about Hasan, they tried to shoot him. But Bubli intercepted them and a bullet hit her on the head, which killed her on the spot, police added.

Abdur Rouf told Prothom Alo, “A case was filed in connection with the murder on that night. CCTV footages of a nearby house showed Shah Alam coming out of the house with two pistols in two hands. He fled the scene while shooting. All of the other youths were carrying arms.”

“Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a drive in Bolirhat area to arrest Shah Alam. Sensing presence of the law enforcement, his cohorts opened fire on police, forcing them to retaliate. At one stage police recovered a body. Papers in his pocket confirmed his identity,” he added.

Police recovered two pistols from the scene and sent the body to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue.

Two more incidents of killing took place in Chattogram on Friday night.

According to the human rights organisation, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), at least 421 people were killed in alleged gunfights, crossfire or shootouts with the law enforcement agencies in 2018.

In January and February of 2019, the number of such killings was at least 50, the rights body said on its website.