As many as five people have been killed in ‘gunfights’ in Cox’s Bazar and Khulna’s Sundarbans on Monday (May 6)
In Cox’s Bazar, two suspected Rohingya drug peddlers have been killed in a reported gunfight at Leda Rohingya Camp of Teknaf, Cox's Bazar.
The deceased are Md Alam, 34, and Md Rafiq, 20.
Confirming the matter to the Dhaka Tribune, Teknaf police station Officer-in-Charge Pradip Kumar Das said: "We conducted a drive in the area responding to a tip-off. Upon seeing us, the drug traders opened fire at us. We fired back in self-defence.”
"We recovered the bodies along with drugs, and guns from the spot," he said.
"The bodies of the deceased have been sent to the Teknaf Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy," he added.
In Khulna, three suspected bandits have been killed in a reported gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), near Pasur River, in Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone.
The deceased have been identified as Rana, 28; Julhas Sheikh, 32; and Kamruzzaman, 39.
RAB confirmed that they were Rana Bahini members.
Two RAB officials were also injured in the incident, however their identities have not yet been revealed.
RAB 6 Company Commander Major Md Shamim Sardar confirmed this to Dhaka Tribune, saying: “Based on a tip-off, we conducted a drive in the Chandpai range area, when the bandits opened fire on us.” He said the elite force team fired back in self-defence, triggering a gunfight.
He continued: “The injured were taken to Mongla Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared the three bandits dead.”
RAB recovered locally-made firearms from the spot including a one-shooter gun, three pipe-guns, 23 rounds of gun cartridges, 14 rounds of empty cartridges, three cleavers, and four bullets.
The elite forces also seized a boat that the bandits used, and other equipment.
Police recovered: 2,200 yaba pills, two guns, seven bullets, and over Tk 656,000 from the spot.
(Bangla Tribune Correspondents in Khulna and Cox’s Bazar provided inputs for this story.)