‘Gunfight’: 5 killed in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar

Two alleged drug dealers, two robbers and a criminal were killed in what law enforcers described as gunfights in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar.

In Dhaka, an alleged criminal was killed in Bhashantek last midnight. Deceased Shafik, 42, was identified as a top criminal of Narsingdi.

He was wanted in at least 12 cases including murder, Lt Col Kazi Shamsher Uddin, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-11, told The Daily Star.

Rab raided Bhashantek to nab Shafik last midnight when his associates opened gunfire. Rab men also retaliated with equal, triggering a gunfight, he said.

Shafik was later found lying at the spot and declared dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 1:30am, he added. Two of his associates -- Faruk and Pradip -- were held with three firearms and bullets from the spot.

A Rab officials also sustained injuries in the gunfight, he added.

In Cox's Bazar, two alleged drug traders of Rohingya origin were killed in an alleged gunfight with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Kharangkhali, Teknaf upazila.

The deceased were identified as Mohammad Ilias, 18, of Kutupalong camp and Md Faruk Mia of Balukhali camp, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reports.

They had maintained active connection with Myanmar since they came to the Bangladesh camps, BGB sources said.

BGB said one of their patrol teams stopped the two Rohingya men who entered Bangladesh through the Kharangkhali border early today.

"The Rohingya men suddenly attacked the BGB team with local arms, triggering a gunfight," said Shariful Islam Jamaddar, acting commanding officer of BGB-2.

"Two of the men were killed on the spot," he said, adding that 1.9 lakh Yaba pills were recovered from the spot.

The bodies were later handed over to Teknaf police.

In Pekua, two suspected robbers were killed in an alleged "gunfight" with Rab at Magnama coastal area around 4:30am.

The identities of the two could not be ascertained immediately, our Cox’s Bazar staff correspondent reports.

They were “members of a robber gang operating in the bay”, said Mehedi Hasan, company commander of Rab-7.

Eight firearms and 26 bullets were recovered from the spot, he said.

Further details regarding the incident would be disclosed later, he added.