2 'criminals' killed in Rab 'shootout'

Allegations of extra-judicial killings against Rab were mere propaganda, claimed Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed yesterday.

His comment came barely 11 hours after two alleged criminals were killed in a “shootout” in the capital's Banashree area.

He said arms were given to the law enforcers to curb crime not for “playing ha-du-du or danguli [traditional sports]”, reports our Khulna correspondent.

“What is judicial killing?” Benazir questioned whilst responding to a reporter's query at a press briefing in Rab-6 Headquarters in Khulna. The Rab boss was visiting the southern district as its new chief.

“There is no extra-judicial killing in the country,” he said.

On the violence during the nationwide blockade, he said criminals were spreading anarchy in the country and that it was not a political movement.

It is the duty of Rab to ensure peace and people's security, said Benazir, adding that the elite force would show zero tolerance towards criminals involved in anarchy.

On January 16, Benazir in Rangpur had said the next election would be held as per schedule (in 2019) and people would exercise their right to vote. The comment by a law enforcement agency chief was criticised by the BNP-led alliance.

THE “SHOOTOUT”

Two alleged criminals were killed in a “shootout” between Rab and reported criminals at Banasree in the wee hours of yesterday.

The identities of the deceased, aged between 35 and 40, could not be known immediately.

Rab-3 operation officer Saiful Islam, also an assistant superintendent of police, said a Rab team set up a check-post near Ideal School and College in Banashree Saturday night.

Around 2:00am, the team signalled a passing silver car to stop. Two to three passengers of the car got down and opened fire on the Rab team, the Rab officer claimed.

The law enforcers retaliated with gunfire.

Later, the Rab personnel found two bullet-hit bodies lying on the ground and took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared them dead around 4:00am, the Rab official said.

They claimed that one of the “criminals” fled the scene.

Rab seized the car and recovered two foreign pistols, two magazines, six bullets, a pistol cover and two coats inscribed with “Detective Branch (DB) of police” from the vehicle.

"We suspect that the criminals used to commit crimes in the city and elsewhere by impersonating DB members," the Rab officer said, adding that the car they were travelling had been stolen.

The body of one of the deceased, which had a shirt, a jacket and a pair of jeans on, was riddled with six bullet holes. The other body had 15 bullet holes, according to the police inquest report.

Including these two deaths, six people, including three Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders and a Jamaat leader, were killed in “shootouts” with law enforcers since the BNP-led 20-party alliance enforced a countrywide blockade on January 6.