2 'drug dealers, robber' killed in 'shootouts'

Two alleged drug traders and a suspected robber were killed in separate “shootouts” in Natore, Gazipur and Barguna districts early yesterday.

In Natore, Meher Ali, accused in 14 cases for drugs, robbery and murder, was killed in a “gunfight” with Rapid Action Battalion in Lalpur upazila.

The “shootout” took place around 2:15am as Rab members challenged a group of people in Chamtia area and came under fire.

The Rab men retaliated, triggering a gunfight, leaving Meher injured, our local correspondent reports quoting Maj Shiblee Mostofa, a company commander of Rab in Natore.

He was rushed to Lalpur Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.

The Rab claimed to have recovered a firearm and three bullets, 160 pieces of yaba and 62 bottles of phensedyl from the spot.

In Gazipur, another suspected drug trader, Sharif Hossain Khan, 30, was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rab in Protyasha Math area of Tongi around 3:30am.

The elite force gave an identical narrative of the “shootout” -- they opened fire on ground of self-defence after coming under attack by a group of suspected drug dealers, our Gazipur correspondent reports quoting Ishtiaque Ahmed, a deputy director of Rab-1.

The Rab claimed to have recovered a firearm, some yaba pills and phensedyl from the spot.

With these, at least 219 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 with police and Rab.

In Barguna, a suspected robber was killed in another so-called gunfight with a team of Rab-8 in Sarankhola range of the Sundarbans, reports our Patuakhali correspondent quoting the crime buster.

The deceased was identified as Rafiqul Islam Rana, an active member of a robbers' gang known as “Noya Bahini”. Though other members of the gang surrendered to the law enforcers last year, he was active in robbery, Rab said.

The elite force claimed to have recovered a firearm and two pistols from the spot.