A man was killed in what police claimed was a crossfire between detectives and his armed cohorts in South Keraniganj early yesterday.

Al Amin alias Akash, 32, was killed hours after police picked him up in Munshiganj.

Dipok Chandra Saha, officer-in-charge of Dhaka District Police's Detective Branch (South), said a team of police, taking Al Amin along, went in a drive in Khejurbagan area to recover arms and drugs around 2:30am. But when armed gang men started shooting at police in an attempt to free him, he got shot and died.

Since 2004, law enforcers gave similar accounts of events leading to the deaths of around 800 suspects in custody, according to Rights body Ain o Salish Kendra.

Around 1,900 people had been shot and had died during the period in what law enforcers claimed were incidents of crossfire and shootout.

Rights activists say almost every time an arrested suspect is taken out for a “raid”, he gets killed. By now, the law enforcers should know that they would “come under attack” and should protect the suspect.

Dipok claimed that Al Amin was accused in at least 14 cases filed for murder, possessing arms and dealings drugs. When policemen came under fire, they retaliated with 10 rounds.

He added that they picked up Al Amin from Lohajang upazila on Friday morning. “Al Amin was injured by bullets fired by his cohorts. He was declared dead after he was taken to Mitford Hospital.”

The officer claimed that four policemen had minor injuries. Police also claimed to have recovered a pistol, five bullets, a knife, and a machete in the drive.