Staff Reporter :
Five persons were killed in what the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) called gunfights in Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar and Pabna districts early Tuesday.
The law enforcement claimed that among the five killed two were robbers, two drug traders and remaining one was a member of an outlaw party.
In Dhaka, two unidentified ‘robbers’ were killed in a reported gunfight with the members of RAB-2 in Rayerbazar around 3:30am. Being informed that a gang of robbers was staying behind Rayerbazar Graveyard, a team of RAB-2 conducted a raid there around 3:30am. Sensing presence of the elite force, the gang members opened fire on them, triggering the gunfight. The gunfight left them injured with bullets.
The injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where the on-duty doctors declared them dead around 6:30am, said Sub-Inspector Bacchu Mia, In-Charge of DMCH Police Outpost.
The team recovered three pistols, bullets and sharp weapons from the spot.
In Cox’s Bazar, two suspected drug traders-Abdus Samad, 27, from Sitakundu upazila in Chattogram district and Abu Hanif, 30, from Jashore district-were killed in a reported gunfight with the members of RAB-7 in Morichya area of Ukhia upazila around 2:30am.
Mehedi Hasan, Company Commander of RAB-7, said that a RAB-7 team set up a check post in the area. When a truck was passing through it, they signalled it to stop.
However, denying signal, the drug traders opened fire on the elite force from inside of the truck, forcing them to retaliate, which triggered the gunfight. After the gunfight, the team recovered two bodies from the spot.
The RAB official said that they recovered 130,000 pieces of yaba tablets and a foreign pistol, one shooter gun, eight round bullets and eight round bullet shells from the spot.
In Pabna, Korban Hossain, 36, a suspected leader of regional outlaw party was killed in a reported gunfight with the police in Koijari village of Ataikula upazila around 1:30am. Korban was son of Kiamuddin Pramanik of Jatrapur village in Ataikula upazila of the district.
Being tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area, said Masud Rana, Officer-in-Charge of Ataikula Police Station.
When the team reached there, the outlaw gang opened fire on them, prompting the law enforcers to fire back, triggering the ‘gun battle’, leaving Korban dead on the spot, the law enforcers added.
Four policemen were also injured in the incident, said the OC, adding that they recovered a revolver, four cartridges, two cartridge sells, 20 yaba tablets and a motorcycle from the spot.
Korban was accused in several cases, including murder and robbery, said the police official.
Quoting rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra, the Malaysia-based New Straits Times reported that over 200 people were killed till July since the anti-drug crackdown in May.
