Three killed in ‘gunfights’
Two suspected robbers were killed in a "gunfight" between two groups of robbers in Feni's Sonagazi upazila early yesterday.
Their family members said the two had been missing since Thursday afternoon.
In Jashore, another alleged robber died at a hospital in Monirampur upazila early yesterday, hours after he was hit by bullets during a "shootout" between police and his associates in the upazila.
Saifudddin, sub-inspector of Sonagazi Police Station in Feni, said a police team went to Mangalkandi area around 4:00am yesterday on information that a "gunfight" broke out between two groups of "robbers".
Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the criminals fled the area firing blank shots, he added.
Police later found two bullet-hit youths lying injured. The two were sent to Sonagazi Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead.
Police claimed to have recovered two locally-made arms and several bullets from the spot.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Ismail Hossain of the health complex said police brought the duo dead. The bodies bore marks of bullet wounds, he added.
The bodies were sent to Feni General Hospital morgue for autopsies.
At the hospital, Badsha Miah of Char Krisnajoy village in Sonagazi identified one of the two dead as his son Shamsul Huda Nishan, 23.
Talking to newsmen at the hospital, he said Shamsul attended a court hearing in a robbery case on Thursday and later went to Feni's Boro Bazar area for shopping ahead of his sister's wedding, scheduled for tomorrow.
Around 1:00pm on Thursday, another accused in the robbery case, Sujon, called him out of his home. Shamsul had been missing since then.
The other dead was identified as Shariful Islam, 28. His father Obaidul Haque said they couldn't contact Shariful after he attended the court hearing on Thursday.
Both the families said Shamsul and Shariful were falsely implicated in the robbery case.
'SHOOTOUT' IN JASHORE
In Jashore, another suspected robber was killed in a "gunfight" with police in Monirampur upazila early yesterday, police said.
The dead, Md Nuruzzaman alias Nurul Haque alias Keru, was accused in 12 cases, Towhidul Islam, additional superintendent of Jashore police, told The Daily Star.
According to the first information report (FIR) filed with Monirampur Police Station in this connection, a mob in Keshabpur upazila caught two people, including Nuruzzaman, around 7:00pm on Thursday when they were fleeing with a battery-run easy-bike.
On information, police rescued the two and later learnt from them that Nuruzzaman was a robber.
Taking Nuruzzaman along with them, police carried out a drive in Kotwali and Monirampur areas around 11:45pm on Thursday to recover illegal arms.
The FIR said Nuruzzaman's associates put up barricades on the road to prevent police from moving ahead. They fired shots at the cops and tried to snatch the detainee. The law enforcers fired back in self defence.
At one stage, Nuruzzaman tried to flee, but he was hit by bullets fired by his associates.
He was rushed to a hospital in Monirampur upazila where doctors pronounced him dead around 4:00am.