Four killed in ‘gunfights’

Four people suspected to be drug paddlers were killed in separate reported gunfights with the Border Guard Bangladesh and the police at in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar early Saturday.

Three of the deceased remained unidentified and police suspected that they might be Rohingyas. The rest one was Musa Akbar,36, of Tulatali in Hwaikyang union of Teknaf.

The members of BGB and three police personnel were also injured in the ‘gunfights’, officials claimed.

BGB members seized 1.80 lakh Yaba tablets, two locally made guns, three cartridges and sharp long knife from the suspected drug pedlars

Lieutenant Colonel Md Faisal Hasan Khan, commanding officer of 2 BGB Battalion in Teknaf, said that a group of BGB members were waiting at flood control embankment along the river Naf at Chori Khal point after getting information that a big drug consignment would be coming from Myanmar after midnight.

Five people on a small wooden boat came from Myanmar crossing the river Naf and they encored the boat near the embankment inside a mangrove forest, he said. As the BGB members challenged them, the suspected drug pedlars tried to flee and the BGB personnel also chased them, he said.

At one stage, the suspected drug pedlars opened fire on the BGB members prompting them to retaliate with gunshots. The exchange of gunshots continued for five to six minutes, he said.

Later, the BGB members found three bullet-hit people on the spot and sent them to Cox’s Bazar General Hospital for treatment but the duty doctors there declared them dead.

Colonel Faisal also said that three members of BGB were injured in the gunfight.

The bodies were later handed over to Teknaf police.

Another incident, suspected drug pedlar Musa Akbar,36, son of Abul Bashar of Tulatali in Hwaikyang union of Teknaf, was killed in a reported gunfight with Teknaf police at about 4:00am on Saturday.

Teknaf police officer in-charge Prodeep Kumar Das said that three police personnel — assistant sub-inspector Arif Hossain, constables Adison Chakma and Rumon — were also injured in the gunfight.

Prodeep Kumar said that members of a drug pedlars’ gang gathered at Tulatali with Yaba tablets. At that time, a police team raided the spot and suspected drug pedlars opened fire on police and they also fired gunshots in self-defence.

Later, police found one bullet-hit person from the spot and sent him to Teknaf upazila health complex where doctors there declared him dead.

The body was later sent to Cox’s Bazar General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Separate cases were filed with Teknaf police station in this connection. (Source: New Age)