2 ‘lorry hijackers’ among 4 killed in ‘gunfights’

Four people including two suspected lorry hijackers were killed in separate “gunfights” with law enforcers in Dhaka, Chattogram and Cumilla early today.

In Dhaka, two alleged hijackers were killed when they were going to old part of the capital from Savar area with a lorry carrying tea-leaves, which they hijacked from Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal one week ago, said Mohammed Mohiuddin Faruqe, a company commander of Rab-2.

After receiving information that the “hijackers” were going to Old Dhaka to sell the tea leaves, Rab set up a check post in Hazaribagh’s Beribadh area, the Rab official said.

Around 2:30am, the covered van tried to cross the check-post when Rab officials signaled it to stop. But instead of stopping the vehicle, the alleged hijackers sped up the vehicle and hit a pillar beside the road after losing control, the Rab official said.

The “hijackers” then started shooting targeting the law enforcers prompting them to retaliate, he added.

Two members of the gang -- Monir, 46, and Gias, 47, -- were hit by bullets and left behind by their cohorts who managed to flee.

Monir and Gias were pronounced dead by doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 3:00 am when they were rushed there.

Monir was accused in 21 cases while Gias in nine cases filed with different police stations. Some of the cases were filed for looting and hijacking.

Two members of Rab were also hurt during the “gunfight”, the rab official claimed.

The covered van along with nine tonnes of tea-leaves, a foreign-made pistol and few bullets were also recovered from the spot of occurrence, he added.

In Chattogram, Md Mansur, 40, an alleged mugger and accused in four mugging case was killed in a reported gunfight with police at the city's Pologround area.

Based on a tip-off, a team of patrol police chased a CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying four “snatchers” from Tigerpass area in the port city during the wee hours of today. At one point, the suspected muggers opened fire targeting policemen forcing them to retaliate with gunshots, said Inspector (investigation) Md Kamruzzaman of Kotwali Police Station.

During the “gunfight”, Mansur was hit by bullet while his associates managed to flee the spot. Mansur was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where he was declared dead.

Police seized a LG and four cartridges from the spot, our Chattogram correspondent reports quoting police.

Sub-inspector (SI) Tarek also sustained injuries during the incident, the official added.

In Cumilla, suspected drug trader Selim Miah, 45, was killed in a “gunfight” with members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Golabari in Sadar upazila around 1:00am, UNB reports quoting Lt Col Abu Mohammad Mohiuddin, commanding officer BGB-10 battalion.

BGB recovered 2,000 Yaba pills which were tied up with the body.