5 killed in Dhaka, B’baria, Faridpur ‘gunfights’

Five alleged criminals were killed in separate "gunfights" with law enforcers in Dhaka’s Dhamrai, Brahmanbaria and Faridpur today.

Of them, three were killed in Dhamrai while one each in Brahmanbaria and Faridpur, report our correspondents quoting law enforcers.

In Dhamrai, the three alleged robbers were killed in “gunfight” with Rapid Action Battalion this afternoon.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately, our Savar correspondent reports quoting Col Anwar, company commander of Rab-2.

A group of muggers was trying to snatch money from local NGO workers after intercepting their CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Telia area around 3:30pm.

Tipped-off, a team of Rab-2 rushed to the spot, the Rab official said adding that sensing presence of the elite force, the criminals opened fire on the Rab men, triggering a gunfight.

Three suspected muggers were found bullet-hit after the gunfight ceased, the Rab official said adding they were whisked off to Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex where they were pronounced dead.

In Brahmanbaria, a suspected mugger was killed in a “gunfight” with police early today, hours after he was arrested in Akhauraupazila.

The deceased was identified as Khokon Sutradhar, 30, Officer-in-charge Mosarraf Hossain Tarafderof Akhaura Police Station told our local correspondent.

Khokon was caught by an angry mob while he was trying to snatch Tk 18 lakh from a representative of British American Tobacco Company near Janata Bank at Lal Bazar of Akhaura on Monday noon, the police official said.

Based on information given by Khokon, a police team along with Khokon went to an area near Titas Railway Bridge around 2:45am to recover firearms and capture his accomplices.

Sensingt he police presence, Khokon’s cohorts started firing on the police. In reply, police also shot fires that triggered the “gunfight”, the official said.

At one stage, police found bullet-hit body of Khokon lying on the spot while all of his cohorts managed to flee the scene.

In Faridpur, an alleged member of an outlawed party was killed in a ‘shootout’ between police and his cohorts in Sadar upazila of Rajbari in wee hours of today.

The deceased was identified as Saidur Rahman, 32, police said.

Addressing a press conference, Asma Siddika Mili, superintendent of police in Rajbari, said acting on a tip-off, a team of detective branch of police launched a crackdown when a group of outlaws was holding a clandestine meeting in Joukura Ferry ghat area in the upazila.

During the drive, the outlaws showered bullets on the law enforcers, triggering the “gunfight”, she said.

Saidur was found dead on the spot after the gunfight.

Law enforcers recovered a gun, 32 rounds of bullets, a foreign gun, 23 rounds of cartridges, a sharp weapon from the spot.

Saidur was accused in seven cases including two murder cases, the SP added.