'Robber' killed in 'gunfight' with police

An alleged robber was killed in a "gunfight" with police in Rangpur city early yesterday.

Eight bullet-hit bodies had been recovered from Jessore, Satkhira and Jhenaidah between Friday night and Sunday morning. Six of those bodies were recovered from different areas of Jessore. Police claimed the dead were robbers and had been killed because of internal feuds.    

The man killed in the "gunfight" in Rangpur yesterday was identified as Razab Ali, 35, son of late Moznu Mia of village Durgabari under Polashbari upazila of Gaibandha.

He was an accused in eight different murder and robbery cases filed in Gaibandha and Rangpur.

Saifur Rahman, additional superintendent of police in Rangpur, said on being tipped off that a gang of robbers was preparing for a robbery in Dharmadash area near the Rice Research Institute, a police team was sent there in the early hours of yesterday.

When the law enforcers reached the area around 4:00am, the gang opened fire at them, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate. A member of the gang was killed in the "gunfight" that ensued. Others managed to flee the spot.

Police recovered a pistol and sharp weapons from the scene. They also recovered the dead body and sent it to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

With this latest incident, the number of people killed in "gunfights" with police reached to 13 since the beginning of the year, according to human right organisation Ain O Salish Kendra.