‘Drug peddler’ among 3 killed in ‘gunfights’

Three alleged criminals, including a "drug peddler", were killed in separate incidents of “gunfights” with law enforcers in Comilla, Satkhira and Barguna districts early today.

Of them, the “drug peddler” and a “robber” were killed in separate “gunfights” with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members in Comilla and Barguna respectively while an alleged mugger killed in another “shootout” with police in Satkhira.

In Comilla, alleged drug peddler Shahidul Islam Sabur was killed in a reported gunfight with Rab members in Comilla’s Sadar upazila around 4:00am. 

Sabur was accused of 27 drug-related cases filed with different police stations of Comilla, our Comilla correspondent reports quoting a Rab official.

Tipped off, a team of Rab-11 conducted a drive at Kaptanbazar in Gomti river dam area around 4:00am to arrest him, Major Ataur Rahman, commander of Crime Prevention Company (CPC)-2 of the Rab-11.

Sensing presence of the law enforcers, Sabur and his cohorts opened fire on them, forcing them to retaliate, triggering the “gunfight,” the Rab official said.

After the gunfight, the Rab rescued Sabu, who suffered bullets injuries in the gunfight, and took him to Comilla Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead, added Major Ataur.

With the death of the “drug peddler”, the number of deaths since the anti-narcotics drive began on May 4 has risen to 204.

In Satkhira, suspected mugger Rezaul Islam, 42, was killed in a “gunfight” with police in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila early hours.

Rezaul, son of Abdul Majed of Badhghata village in the same upazila, was a member of a mugger and a motorcycle snatcher’s gang and also accused of nine cases, including arms, theft, motorcycle snatching and kidnapping, our Satkhira correspondent reports quoting police.

A team of Dhaka’s Pallabi Police Station arrested Rezaul on Thursday night and handed him over to Shyamnagar police, said Ziaur Rahman, inspector of Shyamnagar Police Station.

The gunfight took place around 2:00am when the Shyamnagar police along with Rezaul went Khanpur area of the upazila to arrest other criminals as his cohorts opened fire on the law enforcers, the police official said.

Rezaul suffered bullet injuries as he was caught in a line of the “gun battle”. He was taken to Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead, the police official added.

In Barguna, Kajol, a suspected member of robber gang 'Jahangir Bahini', was killed in a reported gunfight with Rab members in a char of Baleshwar river in Patharghata upazila during the wee hours, reports UNB.

A team of Rab-8 challenged a trawler in the river around 5:30am, said Rab sources.

Sensing presence of the elite force, the gang members opened fire on them, forcing them to fire back, triggering a gunfight which left Kajol dead on the spot.