An alleged drug peddler was killed in a “gunfight” with police in Kushtia town early yesterday.

The dead was identified as Hobibor Rahman alias Hobi alias Hubba, 50.

Hobi was a close aide of the district's two top drug dealers, Hamidul and Rashidul, who were also killed in separate “gunfights”, claimed Nasir Uddin, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Model Police Station.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the district's Milpara area around 3:30am to arrest a group of drug dealers. Sensing police presence, the criminals opened fire on the law enforcers, forcing them to retaliate, the OC claimed.

At one stage of the gunfight, Hobi's body was found on the spot when others managed to flee, police said.

The law enforcers also claimed to have recovered a gun, three bullets and 800 yaba pills from the spot.

However, The Daily Star could not independently verify the law enforcer's claim.

Nine drug related cases were filed with Kushtia Model Police Station against Hobi, said the OC.

According to police, Rab earlier arrested Hobi in 2015 but he fled Rab custody in handcuffs.

With this, at least 286 drug dealers and peddlers were killed in such “shootouts” with police or Rab since the anti-narcotics crackdown started from May last year.