‘Shootouts’ continue

Two people were killed in a “shootout” with police in Monirampur upazila of Jessore early yesterday.
Deceased Bazlur Rahman Bazlu, 40, is from Monirampur while Saidur Rahman Sayeed, 34, from Dumuria upazila of Khulna.
Monirampur police claimed the two were Jamaat activists, but Rabiul Islam, elder brother of Bazlu, said the duo were active in BNP politics.
According to cops, Bazlu and Sayeed were accused in at least six cases, including the one for allegedly damaging and looting around 70 houses of Awami League men at Jaipur village in the upazila on March 22 in 2013.
Including the two, 31 people were known to have been killed in “shootout” or “gunfight” with law enforcers across the country since the BNP-led 20-party alliance declared an indefinite countrywide blockade on January 5. Of them, 20 died in such incidents with police and 11 with Rab.
Fourteen of the victims were BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men. Law enforcers made accusations against some of them that they were involved in arson attacks.
Meanwhile, a Jubo Dal leader received bullets in a “gunfight” with Detective Branch of police in Palerhat of Laxmipur Sadar upazila early yesterday.
Injured Nazrul Islam Jasim, 28, is the president of South Hamchhadi union unit Jubo Dal in the upazila.
Our Benapole correspondent reports: Police picked up Bazlu and Sayeed at Jaipur village around 7:30pm on Tuesday, said Reshma Sharmin, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Jessore.
Obtaining information from the arrestees, cops along with the two went to Begaritola in Monirampur upazila around 3:00am yesterday to recover illegal arms.
As police reached there, a criminal gang opened fire on them, forcing cops to fire retaliatory shots at the thugs. At one stage, Bazlu and Sayeed were caught in the line of fire and got injured, claimed the ASP.
Law enforcers later sent the two to Manirampur Hospital where doctors declared them dead.
‘GUNFIGHT’ IN LAXMIPUR
A DB team launched a raid in Palerhat around 1:45am yesterday to arrest troublemakers on information that some followers of listed criminals Masum and Laden have gathered there to carry out subversive activities, said Zunayet Kawser, an ASP in Laxmipur.
Sensing presence of law enforcers, criminals opened fire on the DB men. The cops retaliated by firing shots. At one stage, the thugs fled the spot, leaving Jasim injured.
The Jubo Dal leader was receiving treatment at Laxmipur Sadar Hospital under custody, reports our Noakhali correspondent.
Jasim said police picked him up at his house late on Tuesday night. Later they took him to Palerhat and shot in his right leg.
‘COPS ACTED IN SELF-DEFENCE’
AKM Shahidul Hoque, inspector general of police, yesterday claimed law enforcers open fire during “shootouts” in self-defence.
“Everyone has the right to protect himself. There were incidents that police teams went on operations and came under attack,” he told journalists after a meeting with top Rab officials at its headquarters in the capital.
On the allegation of killing innocent people during “shootouts”, the IGP said such allegations would be probed.