Five killed in ‘shootouts’

Five people, including two suspected Rohingya human traffickers, were killed in separate “gunfights” in three districts yesterday.

In Cox’s Bazar, two suspected Rohingya traffickers were killed in a “Shootout” with police in Teknaf upazila early yesterday.

Azim Ullah, 20, was a resident of Rohingya camp no. 23 in Shamlapur area and Abdus Salam, 52, was a resident of Rohingya camp no. 15 in Jamtoli area, said Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station.

Tipped off that a gang of human traffickers had gathered some people in Shamlapur Marine Drive Road area in an attempt to smuggle them into different districts in the country, a police team conducted a raid around 4:00am, the OC said.

Sensing their presence, the gang members opened fire on the law enforcers, forcing them to fire back that triggered a “gunfight”.

Later, police recovered the two with bullet injuries and took them to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex where doctors pronounced them dead.

Police also seized two firearms and bullets from their possession before taking them to hospital, the OC said, adding that four policemen were injured during the incident.

Meanwhile in Cox’s Bazar town, suspected terrorist and drug trader Sayedul Mostafa alias Bhulu, 34, was killed in a “shootout” with police in Katapahar area early yesterday.

Police was about to conduct a drive to recover illegal firearms taking Mostafa along with them, said Farid Uddin Khandaker, OC of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station.

As soon as they reached the spot, cohorts of Mostafa opened fire on them, forcing them to retaliate, the OC said.

Injured Mostafa was shot during the incident and taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police recovered 400 yaba pills, a firearm and two cartridges from the spot, the OC claimed.

Mostafa was accused in several criminal cases, he added.

In Pabna, a suspected robber was killed in a “gunfight” with police at the Shara area in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila early yesterday.

Hafizur Rahman Titas, 38, was a resident of Basherbanda village in the upazila.

The deceased Hafizur Rahman Titas, 38, son of Abdul Aziz Mollah of village Basherbanda in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila, was accused of 16 robbery cases, said police.

Acting on a tip off, a police team raided a sugarcane field around 3:00am where the miscreants taking preparation for a robbery, said Bahauddin Faruki, OC of Ishwardi Police Station.

Sensing police’s presence, robbers opened fire on the cops, forcing them to fire back in retaliation which triggered a “gunfight”, said the OC.

Later, police recovered Titas with a bullet injury and took him to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.

Police also recovered a firearm and two bullets from the spot, OC Bahauddin added.

Six policemen were injured during the gunfight the OC said.

In Jashore, an alleged robber was killed in a ‘gunfight’ between two groups of robbers on Jashore-Magura highway in the Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately, said Samir Kumar Sarker, OC of Kotwali Police Station.

A police team rushed to the spot after hearing gunshots around 3:30am, the OC said, adding that they found the body lying beside the road.

Our Cox’s Bazar, Pabna and Benapole correspondents contributed to this report