Five suspected criminals killed in 'shootouts'

Rab and police said five “criminals”, including two “drug traders”, were killed in “gunfights” with the law enforcers in Dhaka and two other districts early yesterday.

Rab said the two “drug traders”, Abdus Samad and Abu Hanif, both aged around 30, were killed in a “gunfight” with one of its patrol teams in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar.

The incident happened around 2:30am when the Rab team signalled a truck to stop in Moricha Bazar area on Cox's Bazar-Teknaf road, claimed Major Mehedi Hasan, a company commander of Rab-7 in the district.

At this, criminals from the vehicle opened fire on the law enforcers, prompting them to retaliate in self-defence. It left the two dead on the spot, he claimed.

Rab also claimed to have recovered 1.3 lakh yaba tablets, two firearms and eight bullets from the vehicle and the spot.

With the two, at least 230 suspected drug peddlers and traders have been killed since the nationwide anti-narcotics drive began on May 4. Most of them were killed in so-called shootouts involving Rab and police.

In the capital, two suspected robbers were killed in another “gunfight” with Rab, which came up with a similar account of the shootout.

Saiful Malik, operations officer of Rab-2, claimed that on a tip-off that a group of robbers had gathered in the city's Rayerbazar area, one of their patrol teams raided the place around 3:00am, resulting in the gunfight.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. No one came to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College, where the bodies were kept, till last evening. 

An outlaw, Kurban Ali, 30, was killed in a “shootout” with police in Koujuri village of Pabna's Atgharia upazila, said the law enforcers.

Kurban was accused in a number of cases, including for murder and robbery, police said.

Masud Rana, officer-in-charge of Ataikula Police Station, said the “gunfight” ensued around 1:30am as the law enforcers carried out a raid on information that several outlaws were holding a secret meeting in the village.

Kurban was shot after the criminals opened fire at police, forcing them to retaliate. Doctors declared him dead as he was rushed to a local health complex, he said.

The OC claimed that four policemen were also injured in the incident.

[Our correspondents in Cox's Bazar and Pabna contributed to this report]