Our Correspondent :
Two alleged yaba smugglers were killed in a reported gunfight with members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar early on Tuesday.
Identities of the deceased could not be known yet but it is primarily suspected that they were Rohingyas from Myanmar, said Lt Col Mohammad Foysal Hasan Khan, commanding officer of BGB battalion-2.
They were between 20-35 years old, our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports, quoting the BGB official.
Lt Col Mohammad Foysal said a BGB team took position in Alugola area of Teknaf in the early hours after receiving information that a big consignment of yaba was being brought to Bangladesh from Myanmar using the Naf river through Najirpara border point.
When a group of smugglers were entering Bangladesh through the border, the BGB men signalled them to stop. But the smugglers opened fire at them, forcing them to retaliate, triggering a “gunfight”.
At one stage, the yaba smugglers managed to flee the scene. Later, BGB members found two men with bullet wounds. They were declared dead after being taken to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex, he said.
Two BGB members were injured during the gun battle, the commanding officer said. The BGB team recovered 3.60 lakh yaba pills, one homemade gun and machete from the spot, he added.
Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, said police recovered the bodies and sent those to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy. No case was filed till filing of this report.
