‘Drug peddler’ killed in ‘gunfight’

An alleged Rohingya drug peddler was killed in a "gunfight" with BGB members in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf early yesterday.

Syed Alam, 35, was a Myanmar national, but he had been living in Naitangpara of the upazila for the last 10 years.

On information that a large consignment of yaba pills would be smuggled into Bangladesh from Myanmar, a BGB team took position in Keyari Khal area, said Lt Col Foysal Hasan Khan, commander of BGB Battalion-2.

Around 2:00am, the team noticed two men roaming the area and another crossing the Naf river into Bangladesh from Myanmar, the BGB official said.

Seeing this, the troops asked the three to stop, but they opened fire, defying the instruction, injuring two of the BGB members, he said.

In self-defence, the BGB men retaliated, triggering the "gunfight", he added.

After the "gun battle", the BGB team found a man with bullet wounds.

The injured was taken to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex that referred him to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital.

He was declared dead after being taken to the hospital, the BGB official added.

The BGB claimed to have recovered 40,000 yaba tablets and a firearm from the spot.