BNP activist killed in ‘shootout’

A BNP man was killed in a so-called gunfight with police in Satkhira yesterday.

The dead, Oliullah Mollah, 40, was the general secretary of Kashimari Union BNP in Shyamnagar upazila, said his brother Habibullah Mollah.

The alleged shootout took place in Ganghati area of the upazila around 3:30am.

Sub-inspector (SI) Kamal Hossain of Satkhira SP office said a police team, led by SI Sudhangshu Kumar Mondal, was patrolling Ganghati Chorakhali Culvert area.

During the time, a number of people were speeding through the area on bikes.

Police asked them to pull over but they did not stop. Rather, they started to hurl bombs and open fire on the law enforcers.

When policemen retaliated with gunshots, one of the attackers was shot and fell on the ground. Others fled, said the police official.

The bullet-hit man was taken to Shyamnagar hospital where on duty doctors declared him dead.

Later, the man was identified as Oliullah, who was a fugitive accused in several cases filed over carrying out subversive activities, said the SI.

Oliullah was facing at least 13 cases filed for crimes, including murder and extortion, with different police stations in Satkhira, Bagerhat,

Madaripur and Gopalganj, claimed police.

However, Oliullah's elder brother Habibullah said the man was innocent.

Oliullah had been working as a supervisor at a garments factory in Dhaka for long. He left home for Dhaka at 6:00pm Saturday.  He was travelling by a bus bound for Dhaka from Kaliganj.

Habibullah claimed that police picked up Oliullah from the bus in Devhata Parulia area. Later, he came to know that his brother had been killed in police firing, he added.

Police denied the allegation.

Officer-in-Charge Enamul Haque of Shyamnagar Police Station said an autopsy on the body of Oliullah was performed at Satkhira Sadar Hospital. It was handed over to his uncle Iman Ali later.

The police official said Assistant Sub-inspector Imran Hossain and constable Md Shahid of his station were also injured in the “gunfight”.

Police recovered a locally-made gun, a part of an exploded bomb, and a motorcycle from the spot.

SI Sudhangshu Kumar Mondal filed a case for the attack on the police officials, he added.