Myanmarese yaba trader killed

An alleged Myanmarese yaba smuggler was killed when a gang of Myanmarese yaba smugglers and BGB exchanged fire in the Naf river in Teknaf upazila early yesterday.

The dead is Darbesh Miah, 35.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members also arrested Mohammad Salimullah, 20, a member of the gang, along with 30,000 yaba tablets, a bullet and two sharp weapons.

Acting on a tip-off, the BGB men challenged a boat near sluice gate-3 area in the Naf river around 3:30am. Instead of halting the boat, the yaba smugglers opened fire on the BGB men, said Major Abu Russel Siddique, additional director of BGB 2 Battalion.

The BGB members then fired back, triggering a gunfight, he said.

At one stage of the gun battle, Darbesh was hit by bullets and died while he was being taken to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. Two other members of the gang fled, the Rab official said.

The body of Salimullah was sent to the same hospital morgue for an autopsy. Salimullah was being interrogated, said Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station.

Four cases were filed with Teknaf Police Station in this connection.