4 'robbers' hurt in 'gunfight' with cops

Four suspected robbers were hit by bullets during a “gunfight” with a team of Detective Branch of police in Gazipur city's Kodda Islampur area early yesterday.

The injured are Sultan Uddin, 42, Salam, 40, Hamidul, 30, and Mamun, 25.

Sub-inspector Ikbal Hossain of Gazipur DB said suspected robber Mizanur Rahman a few days ago managed a job at Ocean Garment Limited as a security guard. On Thursday evening, he fed sedative-heavy cakes to his colleagues, leaving all of them in deep sleep.

Around 2:30am yesterday, some 15 accomplices of Mizanur reached the factory by a microbus and started looting goods, said the SI.

Acting on a tip-off, the DB team launched a drive to foil the robbery. When the law enforcers reached the factory, robbers opened fire on the cops, he added.

The law enforcers fired retaliatory shots, leaving the four bullet-hit. However, the other members of the gang managed to flee.

The DB team later recovered some looted goods from a covered van near the factory and sent the four injured to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, said Ikbal.

Abdus Salam, resident medical officer at the hospital, said the four injured were brought to the hospital around 5:30am. They were given primary treatment before being referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Sources at the DMCH said all the four, receiving treatment under police custody, were hit by bullets in their knee.

SI Atiqur Rahman of Joydebpur Police Station said the factory authorities were preparing a case in this connection.