As many as 12 people have been killed in nine districts including the capital on Monday in ‘shootouts’ amid anti-drug crackdown by the law enforcers.
Two people were killed overnight in Cumilla and Pirojpur each while one each in Dhaka, Munshiganj, Satkhira, Pabna, Natore, Jhenaidah and Chandpur.
Police claimed all of the victims were involved with drug peddling and that some of them were wanted in several cases.
The security forces’ accounts on these alleged shooting incidents are similar — the victims getting caught in cross-firing during gunfights between them and drug dealers.
Rights activists—home and abroad—describe the incidents as ‘extrajudicial killings’ and called on the government to end them.

Dhaka
A ‘top drug dealer’ was killed in Dhaka’s Mirpur around 2am on Monday in what the Detective Branch described as a shootout.
The incident took place at Chalantika slum of Mirpur around 2am.
The victim Nazrul Islam alias Naju Sarder, 42, was accused in several narcotics cases, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman.
Cumilla
Two alleged drug dealers were killed in separate shootouts with police in the district on Monday.
The victims were identified as Enamul Haque Bhuiyan alia Dolon, 35, and Nuru Mia, 55.
OC Mizanur Rahman of the Debidwar Upazila police said, “Drug dealer Dolon was shot during gunfight in Bhinglabari Beriadh.”
He died while being taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, he added.
Suspected drug peddler Nuru Mia was killed in a reportedly similar gunfight with police in Cumilla South Sadar Upazila.
Five kilogram of marijuana and bullets was found at the scene of the shooting.
As many as ten alleged drug dealers were killed in ‘shootouts’ in Cumilla’s various areas since the anti-drug raid was launched last week.
Pirojpur
Two ‘drug-traders’ were killed in separate ‘gunfights’ in Sadar and Mathbaria Upazilas, according to Additional Superintendent of Police GM Abul Kalam Azad.
The deceased were identified as Wahiduzzaman, 40, and Mizanur Rahman, 36.
Police found firearms and large amount of drugs from the spot.
Satkhira
Police recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two suspected drug peddlers from Agunpur area in Satkhira on Monday morning.
The two persons were killed in a ‘gun battle’ between two rival groups of drug dealers, claimed Prabir Kumar Das, a sub-inspector of Satkhira Police Station
Later, the lawmen recovered a gun and 105 bottles of contraband Phenesedyl from the scene.
Jhenaidah
An ‘unidentified drug trader’ was killed during a ‘gun battle” with his rival group over distribution of money at Jargram village of the district, OC of the Police Station Emdadul Haque Sheikh said.
Police seized a gun, ammunitions and 20 bottles of Phensidyl from the spot.
Natore
A suspected drug trafficker has been killed in a ‘gun battle’ with RAB at Singra Upazila on Monday.
The gun fight took place in Bhagnagarkandi area around 2am.
The identity of the dead is yet to be known.
Pabna
Ezzat Ali Pramanik, 28, claimed to be drug dealer, was killed in a so called shootout with police on the early hours of Monday.
The incident took place at Bera Upazila in the district.
The victim was named in several cases of drug and robbery, said police.
Superintendent of Police Zihadul Kabir said that a patrol team engaged in a gun battle with a robbers gang at Teghori area around 1am.
“Police found the bullet-hit body of Ijjat and took him to the Bera General Hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors”, he said.
Chandpur
A suspected drug trader, Abu Sayeed Badsha alias Lal Badsha was killed in a reported gun battle with police on Monday.
The incident happened at Gupti Bridge area of Faridganj Upazila.
The deceased was named in ten drug cases with police, said the law enforcers.
Police recovered over 100 Yaba tablets and a single-barrel gun from the spot.
Munshiganj
Sumon Bishwash, 36, an alleged drug peddler, was killed in a “gunfight” with members of a rival group in the district on Monday, said the OC of Munshiganj Police Station Gazi Salauddin.
The fight erupted between two drug dealers group around 2am at the Mirkadim municipality. Police found Sumon’s body from spot after the gun battle had ended, said Salauddin.
Huge amount of drugs and arms were recovered from the scene.
The victim Sumon was accused of narcotics charges in at least 20 cases, said sources at police.