Police, Rab claim they were killed in three ‘gunfights’ in Sundarbans
At least 15 alleged robbers were killed in “gunfights” with law enforcers in the Sundarbans on Sunday and yesterday.
Thirteen of a gang, locally known as Kashem Bahini, were killed in Paikgachha and Dakop upazilas of Khulna on Sunday, while another two of Awal Bahini were killed at Chandpai Range of the east Sundarbans in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat yesterday, law enforcers claimed.
About the Sunday’s incident, Paikgachha Police Station Second Officer Abdul Khalek said local people caught two robbers when a gang tried to abduct a schoolteacher, Prashanta Dhali, at Jirbunia in Paikgachha upazila around 4:30am.
On information, the police rushed to the spot. As law enforcers were taking the robbers into their custody, their cohorts opened fire on them, our Khulna correspondent quoted the police officer as saying.
Policemen fired back, Khalek said, in which two robbers, Karimul Haque and Habibur Rahman, who came in the line of fire, died. Eleven of their cohorts were arrested.
The police took the detainees along to carry out a crackdown on the den of Kashem Bahini in Kalabogi area near the Sundarbans around 11:00am, Khalek said.
Another gunfight took place near their hideout as the gang members opened fire on law enforcers. After the firing that lasted about 45 minutes, Khalek said, all the detainees were found dead.
The deceased are — Afzal Sheikh, Mahbub Molla, Mofizul Molla, Shahidul Sheikh, Nazrul Sheikh, Rubel Sheikh, Joydev Kumar, Sobur Morol, Hanif Gazi, Alam Molla and Amirul Sheikh.
The police recovered 17 foreign pistols, 57 bullets and a trawler used for robbery, the police officer said.
Another two bandits were killed in an alleged gunfight with the Rapid Action Battalion in Bagerhat yesterday morning.
The deceased were identified as Raju and Zakir, aged between 25 and 30, reports our correspondent.
Receiving information that a gang of robbers gathered near Mrigomari canal, Rab members went there to conduct a raid around 8:45am.
There robbers opened fire at the law enforcers, prompting them to fire back, said Maj Adnan Kabir, deputy commander of Rab-8.
After the robbers fled the scene, Rab found two bullet-hit bodies lying on the ground, he said, adding that local fishermen identified the victims as members of Awal Bahini.
Seven firearms, 150 bullets, a boat and several sharp weapons were recovered from the scene, Kabir claimed.
As many as 102 people were killed in “crossfire” between January and September this year, according to the statistics of Ain o Salish Kendra, a human rights and legal aid organisation.
Source: The Daily Star
