2 ‘drug peddlers’ killed in separate ‘gunfights’

Two suspected drug peddlers were killed in what have been described as gunfights in Cox’s Bazar and Cumilla.

The deceased were identified as Siraj Mia, son of Fozol Ahmed of Cox’s Bazar and Shahidul Islam of Cumilla Sadar upazila, report our correspondents.

In Cox’s Bazar, a joint team of police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) went to Sabrang Beribadh area for regular patrol around 10:00pm last night, said Maj Shariful Islam Zomaddar, commanding officer of Teknaf BGB battalion-2.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, some drug peddlers opened gunfire, forcing the law keepers to retaliate, he said.

After the gunfight, they searched the spot and recovered the bullet hit body of Siraj along with two native guns and 50,000 yaba pills, the BGB official said.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station Pradip Kumar Das said, Siraj was involved in drug peddling for a long time.

The body of Siraj was sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy. Two separate cases have been filed in connection to the incident.

In Cumilla, Shahidul, 30, was killed in another “gunfight’ with police in Sadar upazila around 1:45am, our correspondent reports.

Shahidul, a resident of Satora area in the upazila, was accused in at least 10-12 criminal cases filed under drugs and arms act, said Abu Salam Mia, officer-in-charge of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station.

The body was kept at Cumilla Medical College Hospital morgue.

Police seized a firearm and three bullets and 652 yaba pills from the spot.