Jubo League leader murder: 2 Rohingyas killed in ‘gunfight’

Two Rohingya young men were killed in what police called gunfight with them in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar early Saturday, reports news agency UNB.

The deceased, identified as Md Shah and Abdur Shukkur of Jadimura Rohingya Camp in Teknaf, were suspected to be involved with the murder of local Jubo League leader Omar Faruk.

Tipped off that Rohingya criminals were gathering beside Jadimura hill, police conducted a drive there around 1:30am, said Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf police station.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcement, the youths opened fire on the policemen, forcing them to fire back in self-defence that triggered a gunfight, the OC said.

After the gunfight, he said, police rescued the two injured from the spot and admitted to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex. They were shifted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where physicians declared them dead.

Pradip said police recovered two guns, nine rounds of bullet from the spot.

Omar Faruk, 30, was shot to death allegedly by a group of Rohingya criminals at Jadimura in Teknaf upazila on Thursday night.

Following the murder, hundreds of agitated locals stormed a Rohingya camp and vandalised makeshift houses and NGO offices on Friday afternoon.

They burned tyres and plastic boxes to block a five-kilometre road from Teknaf municipality to Leda Point for three hours. The residence of Rohingya leader Noor Mohammad was also torched.

OC Pradip Kumar Das said they persuaded the agitated locals to end their blockade around 3:00pm assuring them of arresting the killers and bringing them to justice.

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 including police, RAB, BGB in 2018.

In the first six months of 2019, the number of such killing was at least 200, the rights body said on its website.