3 killed in alleged gunfights with police, BGB

Prothom Alo Illustration
Prothom Alo Illustration

Three people, including two siblings, were killed in what the members of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) called gunfights with them in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar and Cumilla sadar upazila early Friday.

In Cox’s Bazar, two siblings were killed in a gunfight with policemen near the Hnila Girls High School in Teknaf around 12:00am, said Teknaf Model police station officer-in-charge Pradip Kumar Das.

The two brothers—Abdus Salam, 28, and Abdur Rahman, 30, from Purba Shikderpara of Hnila union parishad were accused in several lawsuits and absconders, he added.

Abdus Salam was accused in six cases and his elder brother Abdur Rahman was accused in seven, police said.

OC Pradip Kumar Das said tipped off, policemen conducted a raid in the area to detain fugitive Salam and Rahman.

Sensing presence of the police their cohorts opened fire on the law enforcement forcing them to retaliate, he added.

The law enforcers then rescued the bullet-hit two brothers and sent them to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex after the miscreants fled the scene. They were later shifted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for better treatment. They succumbed to their injuries in the hospital in the morning.

Zakaria Mahmud, physician at the Upazila Health Complex’s emergency unit, said two bullet-hit critically-injured men were brought to the hospital around 1:30am.

Three policemen were injured in the Cox’s bazar gunfight, Pradip claimed, adding that they recovered two LGs, five rounds of cartridges, 12 shells, two knives and two machetes from the spot.

So far 120 people have been killed in Cox’s Bazar district alone in reported gunfights with law enforcement agencies since the anti-drug drive began on 4 May last year.

In Cumilla, a man was killed in another alleged gunfight with BGB members in sadar upazila, reports UNB.

Deceased Prashanta Kumar Das, 29, of Mogoltuli in the city, was a drug trader, BGB claimed.

Tipped off, a team of BGB-10 conducted a drive in Mogoltuli area and arrested Prashanto on Thursday, said BGB-10 commanding officer lieutenant colonel Abu Mohammad Mohiuddin.

After interrogation, BGB members came to know that a big consignment of drugs will be smuggled into the country through Sangraish area near Gumti river dam.

A team of BGB along with Prashanta went to the spot to seize the drugs around 3:05am.

Sensing presence of the border guards, the drug traders opened fire on the BGB men, forcing them to fire back that triggered the ‘gunfight’.

At one stage, Prashanta was caught in the line of fire and sustained bullet injures.

He was taken to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital where the physicians declared him dead.

They recovered 4,325 yaba tablets and 30 bottles of phensedyl from the spot.

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

In the first five months of 2019, the number of such killing was at least 162, the rights body said on its website.