Four killed in ‘gunfights’

Four people, including two suspected lorry hijackers, were killed in separate “gunfights” with the law enforcers and BGB personnel in three districts in the last two days.

Two alleged hijackers were killed in a “gunfight” with Rab in the capital’s Hazaribag area early yesterday.

They were heading towards Old Dhaka from Savar with a tea-laden lorry, said Mohiuddin Faruqe, company commander of Rab-2.

The lorry was hijacked from Moulvibazar a week ago, he added.

On information, a Rab team set up a checkpoint in Hazaribagh Beribadh area. When the lorry approached the checkpoint around 2:30am, Rab men signaled to stop the vehicle. But the driver sped up the lorry instead and hit a roadside pole, Mohiuddin said.

When the vehicle came to rest, the alleged hijackers started opening fire on the law enforcers, forcing them to fire back that triggered a “gunfight”, the Rab official continued.

Two members of the gang -- Monir, 46, and Gias, 47, -- were shot during the incident and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced them dead.

Monir was accused in 21 cases while Gias in nine cases filed with different police stations.

Later, Rab seized the lorry, along with nine tonnes of tea-leaves and a firearm, said Mohiuddin.

Meanwhile, in Chattogram, a man was killed in a “shootout” with police in Pologround area on Sunday night.

Md Mansur, 40, was accused in four cases, said Md Kamruzzaman, inspector (investigation) of Kotwali Police Station.

The incident took place when a police team chased a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on information that four muggers were boarding the vehicle.

At one point, the suspected muggers stopped the vehicle and opened fire on police, forcing them to retaliate, triggering a “gunfight”, said the inspector.

Mansur sustained bullet injuries during the incident and taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police seized a firearm and four cartridges from the spot.

In Cumilla, alleged drug trader Selim Miah, 45, was killed in a “gunfight” with BGB members at Golabari area in Sadar upazila around 1:00am.

BGB recovered 2,020 Yaba pills tied up with the body.

Our Chattogram and Cumilla correspondents contributed to this report.