2 men killed in alleged gunfight with RAB

Two men were killed in what the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) called a gunfight with them in Fatehpur of Feni sadar upazila early Sunday, reports news agency UNB.

The identities of the deceased, whom the RAB members claimed as drug dealers, could not be known immediately.

A team of RAB raided an abandoned house in rail gate area around 1:30am after being tipped off that a gang of drug dealers was there, said RAB-7 Assistant Director and Assistant Superintendent of Police Mashqur Rahman.

The criminals opened fire as soon as the RAB team reached the spot, triggering a gunfight, Rahman said.

After the gunfight, RAB members recovered the bodies of the two from the spot, he added.

Two firearms, 17 rounds of bullets and five bullet shells were also found at the site, Mashqur Rahman said.

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

In the first four months of 2019, the number of such killing was at least 115, the rights body said on its website.