Rohingya couple killed in ‘gunfight’ with Teknaf police

A Rohingya couple was killed in a "gunfight" with police at a Rohingya refugee camp in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Baxar early today, hours after they were detained by law enforcers.

The deceased were identified as Dil Mohammad, 32, and his wife Zaheda Begum, 27, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reports.

They are members of a robber gang, Officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station Pradip Kumar Das told The Daily Star.

Police detained the couple with an LG from the Rohingya refugee camp at Leda village in Hnila union at 8:00pm, the OC said.

After primary interrogation at the police station, the law enforcers took them to the Rohingya camp for recovering firearms around 12midnight when a group of miscreants opened fire, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate, he said.

At one stage of the "gunfight", the miscreants fled the scene after which police found that Dil Mohammad and Zaheda were hit by bullets, the police official said.

They were rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex. Later, they were referred to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared them dead, the OC said.

The bodies were sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy, he said.

Three members of the police team -- Sub-inspector (SI) Nizam, Constable Shahadat and Constable Sudarshan -- were also injured during the "gun battle", he added.

Police recovered three rifles, eight cartridges and 12 bullet shells from the couple's possession during the drive, OC Pradip Kumar said.

Two cases have been filed in this connection with Teknaf Model Police Station, he added.