‘Murder accused’ killed in alleged gunfight

A man was killed in what the police called gunfight with them in Lalpur upazila of Natore early Saturday, reports news agency UNB.

The deceased, identified as Manikuzzaman Manik, 48 of Ishwardi upazila in Pabna, was an accused in a college student murder case, the law enforcement said.

Saikat Hasan, officer-in-charge of Natore Detective Branch of police, said police arrested Manik, also a member of a hijacking gang, from Rooppur of Pabna district on Friday.

The police launched a drive to arrest the other members of the gang after he had given information to the law enforcement about them.

When they reached Tofakata intersection, his associates opened fire on the law enforcers, forcing them to shot back in self defence around 2:00am, triggering a gunfight.

Police rescued bullet-hit Manik and took him to upazila health Complex where physicians declared him dead, he added.

The OC said police arrested Manik while investigating a case filed for killing of a college student on 5 July at Baraigram, Natore.

Manik was accused in a dozen of murder and hijacking cases, the OC added.

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 2018.

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