3 killed in ‘gunfights’ in 2 districts

Three people have been killed in separate gunfights in Cox’s Bazar and Mymensingh districts. 

The incidents took place early Thursday. 

In Cox’s Bazar, two suspected Rohingya drug peddlers were killed in a reported gunfight with members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Hoaikong Urubunia Katakhal in Teknaf upazila.

The deceased were identified as Sarker, 22, son of Syed Hossain of Kutupalong Rohingya camp; and Nur Alam, 30, son of Mohammad Ali of Muchni Rohingya camp in Teknaf.

A BGB-2 team raided the area after being tipped-off about smuggling of a large amount of yaba, said BGB-2 Deputy Commander Major Shariful Islam Jamaddar.

The BGB members signaled a boat to stop on the Naf River. But the smugglers ignored the signal and opened fire, triggering a gunfight, he said.

“Alam and Sarker were killed in the skirmish,” the BGB officer said.

Later, BGB members recovered the bodies and sent them to the Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

Fifty-thousand yaba pills, a gun, three cartridges and two sharp weapons were recovered from the spot. 

In Mymensingh, a man accused of murder was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Chakua Daria intersection in Gafargaon upazila.

The deceased was identified as Ekhlas Uddin, 32, son of Nurul Islam of Chakua village. 

He was wanted in two murder cases - the latest one was for killing an auto-rickshaw driver last month.

Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area around 1:30am, said Shahinuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Pagla Police Station.

As soon as police reached the area, Ekhlas and his associates hurled brickbats and fired gunshots, triggering a gunfight, the OC said.

Ekhlas was caught in the line of fire and sustained a gunshot wound. Later, he was taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Source: UNB