2 men killed in alleged police gunfight

Two men were killed in what police called gunfight with them in Whaikhyang Satgharia Para in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar early Thursday, reports news agency UNB.

The deceased identified as Ziabul Haque alias Babul, 30, from Whaikhyang Kanjarpara and Azim Ullah, 46, from Shilkhali of Baharchhara union parishad in the upazila, were drug traders, police claimed.

The number of people killed in Cox’s Bazar district in reported gunfights with law enforcement agencies and ‘among the yaba traders over establishing supremacy in the area’ since 4 May 2018 rose to 173 including 45 Rohingyas.

Babul was wanted in several criminal cases, said police.

Police arrested Babul from Hnila Bazar on Wednesday afternoon, said Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model police station.

After interrogation, a team of police took him with them in a drive to recover firearms around 4:00am. As soon as police reached the spot, Babul’s associates opened fire and tried to snatch the criminal, the OC said.

Babul and Azim sustained bullet injuries during the alleged gunfight. They were taken to a local hospital where physicians pronounced them dead.

Four policemen were injured during the gunfight, the OC claimed.

The police also claimed to have recovered a shutter gun, five light guns, 36 rounds of bullet, and 5000 yaba pills from the spot.

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

In the first eight months of 2019, the number of such killing was at least 264, the rights body said on its website.