3 'outlaws' killed in 'gunfight' with Rab

Three alleged members of a faction of banned Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) were killed in a “gunfight” with Rab in Tangail Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The dead are Omar Miah, 28, alleged chief of the district unit's PBCP (ML-Lal Pataka), Abul Kashem, 25, and Saddam Hossain, 30, two other local top leaders of the outfit,  claimed the elite force.

The three are from different villages in Baghil union of the upazila.

However, Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Tangail Model Police Station, said the deceased were listed criminals and they committed various crimes, using the name of the PBCP.

They stood accused of about a dozen criminal cases, including murder, robbery and kidnapping, with the police station, he said.

On information that a secret meeting of the PBCP was being held in Omarpur village, a Rab team raided the village around 3:50am, said Mohiuddin Faruki, commander of crime prevention company-3 of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-12.

Sensing their presence, the “outlaws” opened fire on the elite force members. The Rab members then returned fire, triggering the “gunfight” between the criminals and the Rab, the Rab official said.

After the gun battle, the Rab members found three criminals lying on the spot. Some seven to eight others managed to flee, he said.

The injured were declared dead after being taken to Tangail Medical College Hospital.

The elite force also claimed to have recovered two foreign pistols, a locally made double-barrel gun, two magazines and seven bullets from the spot.

Alea Begum, wife of deceased Omar Miah at Baghil, said her husband did not come home for the last couple of days.

Yesterday morning, locals informed her that her husband was killed in Rab firing in nearby Kakua union and his body was kept at Tangail Medical College Hospital, Alea said.

When this correspondent asked Alea whether her husband was involved in criminal activities, she did not say anything.

Families of deceased Kashem and Saddam could not be contacted for their comments in this regard.

Rafiqul Islam, chairman of Baghil union, said all the three deceased were from his union, and the trio had been committing different types of crimes from their hiding places for long.