3 'criminals' killed in separate 'shootouts'

Three alleged criminals were killed in “shootouts” with law enforcers in Cox’s Bazar, Mymensingh and Sylhet early today.

In Cox’s Bazar, a reported gunfight between robbers and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) left an alleged robber dead in Moheshkhali upazila.

Deceased Md Nurul Kader, 34, masterminded robbery in two trawlers in the Bay of Bengal on August 26, according to a text message sent to media by Rab.

A group of robbers opened fire when a team of Rab-7 was patrolling in Chairar Del area forcing the elite force members to retaliate, triggering the “gunfight”, the text message said.

Nurul came in the line of fire during the “gun battle” and died, it added.

Rab recovered seven firearms and 63 bullets from his possession. 

In Mymensingh, Khalil, a member of auto-rickshaw thief syndicate, was killed in a “gunfight” with Detective Branch of police in Maskanda bypass area of the town, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports quoting police.

Khalil, hailed from Bakchal village in Fulbaria upazila of the district, was accused in 10 cases with different police stations. 

Acting on a tip off, a team of detectives conducted a raid in the area when trading of snatched auto-rickshaw was going on among the syndicate members, said Shah Kamal Akhand, officer-in-charge (OC) of DB’s district branch.

Sensing presence of detectives, the criminals opened fire prompting the law enforcers to retaliate, the police official said.

After all the gang members managed to flee the scene, police found bullet-hit Khalil on the spot and took him to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead, he said.

Police recovered a pipegun from his possession and seized two snatched auto-rickshaws from the spot.

In Sylhet, Fazar Ali, an accused in a number of cases, was killed in a “gunfight” with Rab in Gowainghat upazila in Sylhet early today morning.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Satyazit Ghose, also the operations officer of Rab-9, said, “Rab arrested Fazar from his village home at Goukhalerpar on Sunday and quizzed.”

“Upon getting information from Fazar, a team of Rab men along with him conducted a drive at Mitrimahal village where the “gunfight” took place, Satyazit said.

Two Rab men -- ASI Sekandar and Constable Pandit -- were also injured in the alleged gunfight, the Rab official claimed.

Rab recovered a pistol, 2,800 yaba tablets, marijuana and ammunition.