'Gunfight' with Cops: 2 drug dealers shot dead in Chuadanga

Two accused drug dealers were killed early yesterday in what police said was a gunfight between law enforcers and armed gangs in Chuadanga's Damurhuda upazila.

Moshiur Rahman Dhulo, 45, of the upazila's Charulia village and Jhantu Rahman, 51, of Iswarchandrapur village were accused in multiple cases, including murder and drug peddling, said Sukumar Biswas, officer-in-charge of Damurhuda Model Police Station.

He added that police, acting on a tip-off, rushed to Gobindhuda field where two groups of drug dealers were engaged in an exchange of fire over establishing supremacy in the area around 1:30am.

When police asked the gangs to surrender, they opened fire on the law enforcers, said the OC.

Police retaliated and after a gunfight that went on for nearly an  hour, officers found the bodies at the scene. 

Officers also recovered 300 bottles of Phensedyl, two firearms, four crude bombs and four machetes, he added.

Locals identified the bodies of Dhulo and Jhantu, the OC said. 

Sukumar also claimed that the two groups had long been at loggerheads over drug trade in the area.

Dhulo's wife Sabila Khatun told the Daily Star that her husband used to deal drugs, but had shunned the path two years ago.

OC Sukumar refuted the statement, saying Dhulo had been never given up dealing in drugs.