‘Gunfight’ with BGB: Two Rohingya ‘drug dealers’ killed in Teknaf

Two suspected Rohingya drug peddlers were killed in a “gunfight” with the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar early yesterday.

The dead are Mohammad Yunus, 21, and Mohammad Jamal, 27. Both were from Shikdarpara village in Mongdu district of Myanmar, according to BGB officials.

Tipped off that a group of armed drug peddlers gathered with a large amount of narcotics in Jaliapara area of Hnila union, a BGB team raided the area around 3:00am, Lt Col Mohammad Faisal Hasan Khan, commander of BGB-2 Battalion, told our Cox’s Bazar correspondent.

The BGB officials initially asked them to surrender, but they did not respond and opened fire on the law enforcers.

A “gunfight” ensued when BGB officials fired back in retaliation.   

Following the “gunfight”, BGB officials rescued two bullet-hit men from the spot and took them to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex. 

Later, they were shifted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where doctors declared them dead, said the commander.

BGB men recovered 50,000 yaba pills, two firearms, three ammunitions and three machetes from the spot.

Meanwhile, an alleged mugger was killed in a shootout with police in Chattogram’s Quaish area early yesterday.

The dead is Md Ayub, 26, said Abul Kalam Azad, OC of Chandgaon Police Station.

Ayub was a professional mugger and accused in a case filed over the murder of a construction worker that took place last week, the OC said.

Tipped off that Ayub and his associates had gathered in Annanya Residential area of Quiash Road, a police team conducted a drive in the area around 2:30am, the OC said. 

Sensing presence of the law enforcers, the muggers opened fire on them, forcing them to fire back that eventually triggered a gunfight.

Police rescued bullet-injured Ayub from the spot and took him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, OC Azad said.

Police recovered a firearm, two cartridges and a machete from the spot, the OC said, adding that a case was filed in this connection.