'Shootouts' Go On: Three more killed

Three people, including two suspected drug peddlers, were killed in separate “gunfights” with police in Kushtia and Mymensingh early yesterday.

In Kushtia Sadar, suspected drug peddler Mohammad Azam, 45, was killed in a reported gunfight with police when the law enforcers carried out a raid in Kaburhat village around 2:30am on information that two drug peddling gangs had gathered there, said Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Police Station Nasir Uddin.

The drug peddlers opened fire at police, prompting a gunfight that left Azam dead, he claimed, adding that the man was earlier accused in 13 cases related to narcotics.

Police also claimed to have recovered 900 yaba pills from the spot.

Another suspected drug peddler killed in similar incident at Muslimnagar char in the district's Daulatpur upazila was identified as Madon Ali, 46, an accused in at least 18 narcotics related cases, said Shah Dara Khan, OC of Daulatpur Police Station.

The OC came up with a strikingly similar narrative of an alleged shootout and claimed to have recovered 800 yaba pills, a firearm, and 30 bottles of Phensidyl from the spot.

 A relative of Azam, preferring anonymity, said police had arrested both Azam and Madon earlier on Monday, after a gunfight between drug peddlers and Border Guard Bangladesh at Jamalpur border in Daulatpur upazila where one Haidul Farazi was killed.

With these two, at least 249 suspected drug dealers and peddlers have been killed since the anti-narcotics drive began on May 4. Most of them were killed in so-called shootouts involving police or Rab. 

Meanwhile in Myemensingh, an alleged robber, Anwar Hossain, 35, was killed in an alleged gun battle with police in Bhaluka upazila, said Mazharul Islam, OC (Investigation) of Bhaluka Police Station.

As a police team conducted a raid in Kadigrah area around 2:00am on information of a robbery attempt, the “robbers” opened fire on the law enforcers, who fired back, he said.

Anwar sustained bullet wounds and was taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

Police recovered a pistol, used bullets and five sharp weapons from the spot, the OC claimed, adding that Anwar, a leader of a robbery gang, was accused in 14 robbery cases and one related to narcotics with different police stations.