Drug peddler killed in Jashore gunfight: police

An accused in several drug cases was killed in a reported gunfight with police in Chougachcha upazila of Jashore early today.

The deceased -- Johurul Islam (40) -- was an accused in 10 drug and extortion cases filed with different police stations, our Benapole correspondent reports, quoting Rifat Khan Rajib, officer-in-charge of Chougachcha Police Station.

Rajib said a police team took position near Ballavpur High School around 3:30am after receiving information that a consignment of drugs was being smuggled to Dhaka by a group of drug peddlers.

Sensing the police team's presence, the drug peddlers opened fire on the law enforcers, prompting them to fire back in self-defense.

At one stage, Johurul came in the line of fire and died on the spot, while others managed to flee the scene, said the OC.

Later, police recovered the body and sent it to the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital for autopsy.

The law enforcers also recovered one pistol, 100 bottles of phensedyl and some bullet shells from the spot, the police official added.