6 killed in Cumilla and Sundarbans ‘gunfights’

Two alleged drug traders and four suspected robbers were killed in separate incidents of what law enforcers claimed to be gunfights with Border Guard Bangladesh(BGB) and (Rapid Action Battalion) Rab in Cumilla and Sundarbans.

In Cumilla, two “drug traders” were killed when members of BGB conducted a raid at Noapara area of Chauddagram upazila early today.

The deceased were identified as Md Selim alias Salimullah, 38 and Rubel, 30, our local correspondent reports quoting press release issued in this regard.

A team of BGB members conducted the raid around 1:00 am based on a tip off. Sensing the presence of law-enforcers the drug dealers opened fire at them forcing them to retaliate. Rubel and Selim were caught in the line of fire and got injured, but their cohorts managed to flee the scene, the press release added.

The injured were taken to Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead. The bodies were sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

BGB also recovered 2155 pieces of Yaba pills from the spot. 

The deceased drug dealers were accused in a number of anti-narcotics cases at Chauddagram Police Station, our correspondent reports quoting Abdullah Al Mahfuz, officer-in-charge(OC) of the station.     

In another incident, two alleged drug dealers were injured with bullet wounds in a “shootout” with BGB at Cumilla Sadar (south) upazila around 10:30pm last night, our correspondent reports.

The injured two-- Bokul, 43, of Narayanganj and Abdul Karim, 37, of Kurigram, were admitted to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, BGB officials said.

BGD also recovered 3750 pieces of yaba tablets from the possession of the injured. 

In Sundarbans, four suspected robbers were killed in a “gunfight” in Bagerhat’s Chandpai range area last night.

All the deceased were members of a robber gang, locally known as ‘Hasan Bahini’, our local correspondent reports quoting Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP) Taijul Islam, also an official of Rab-8.

A group of robbers opened fire on a team of Rab-8 while they were patrolling the area around 11:55 pm triggering a “gunfight”, the Rab official said.

At one point the gang members managed to flees the scene. Rab officials later recovered the bullet-hit bodies of four members of the gang and also a huge cache of weapons and ammunition from the spot, he said.

Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.