Two 'drug dealers' killed in Cox's Bazar 'gunfight'

Two alleged drug dealers were killed in two reported gunfights with the members of Border Guard Bangladesh in Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas of Cox's Bazar district early Sunday.

Teknaf-2 BGB commanding officer Lt Col Faisal Hasan Khan said a patrol team of the border force challenged a few people on a boat crossing the Naf river into Bangladesh. 

Sensing the presence of BGB men, the men opened fire on them, prompting them to fire back.

After a short shootout, one was found bullet-hit injured on the spot, and taken to a hospital where the on-duty doctors declared him dead, Faisal said.

The BGB patrol team also recovered around 3.40 lakh pieces of Yaba from the boat, the official said, adding that the identity of the drug dealer could not be known yet.

Cox's Bazar-34 BGB commanding officer Lt Col Ali Haider Azad Ahmed said patrolling was tightened in Rejuamtali border pillar-39 area in Ukhiya early hours on information that a consignment of Yaba pills will enter Bangladesh.

A group of 4/5 people was signaled to stop when they tried to enter but they opened fire on BGB men, forcing them to fire.

Later, a man was found dead on the scene, and around 50,000 pieces of Yaba tablets and an LG were recovered from there, Lt Col Ali Haider said.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Shahjahan, 27, a resident of Deilpara area in Ukhiya upazila, he added.

The deceased was accused in at least 10 cases, including of arms, robbery, and Yaba trading, filed with different police stations, the BGB official added.

Sayeed Alamgir/SU