Youth, outlaw die in 'crossfire' in city, Kushtia
Staff Correspondent
A youth with criminal records was killed in 'crossfire' between police and criminals in city's Mohammadpur area while a similar incident in Kushtia left a top cadre of an outlawed outfit dead early yesterday.Mohammad Idris, 28, the one killed in Dhaka, was arrested on Monday in city's Shyamoli area and Mijanur Rahman Swapan, an operative of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddho), on Sunday from a house in Kushtia town. Three other PBCP cadres, with whom Swapan was arrested, were killed in shootouts with police in Kushtia and Chuadanga on Monday. Mohammadpur police after having obtained leads from Idris took him to Mohammadpur at around 2:20am yesterday to recover firearms. As police reached the Sunibir Housing premises, Idris' accomplices opened fire on them. Police returned fire prompting a fierce firefight, said police. At one stage, while attempting an escape Idris got caught in crossfire and died on the spot. He received two bullets, one in the back of his head while another in the back, said police. Idris was involved in organised crime and accused in six cases including murder. Police seized one 9mm pistol and nine rounds of ammunition from the scene. Abdul Quddus, Idris' elder brother, said Idris, who joined a gang around five years ago, was on the run since he was out on bail from December 11 in a car-jacking case. Our Correspondent from Kushtia reports: A police team took Swapan to Malihad village in Mirpur upazila of the district at about 3:30am after he had confessed to having a large number of firearms and ammunition kept hidden there. Just as they reached near Malihad GK (Ganges-Kapotakha) canal in the village, they came under fire from PBCP cadres already lying in wait there. The law enforcers in return fired a volley of shots resulting in a two-hour-long gun battle. Meantime, Mijanur while trying to flee the scene got shot and died on the spot, police said. Police retrieved one light gun and 17 bullets from the scene of the shooting. Swapan's body was sent to Kushtia General Hospital for autopsy. Police said Swapan under interrogation had admitted to his involvement in the killings of journalists Manik Saha and Humayun Kabir Balu. He stood accused in two murder cases and had a reputation for making bombs.
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