'Robber' killed in 'gunfight' with Rab

A "top robber" enlisted by the home ministry was killed in a “gunfight” between his cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion in Cox's Bazar yesterday.

The elite force also claimed to have recovered 44 firearms and a huge cache of ammunition during the operation in Maheshkhali upazila.

Deceased Mokarram Hossain alias Jambu, 38, led local gang “Jambu Bahini”, said Rab. He lived in the upazila's Kutubjom union.

Maj Ruhul Amin, commander of Rab-7 in Cox's Bazar camp, said Mokarram was accused in 12 criminal cases including murder, rape, robbery, abduction and extortion.

Maj Amin claimed that they were tipped off that a gang was preparing to conduct a robbery in the sea. For this they took position with firearms in Kutubjom. Sensing their presence, the gang opened fire on them, and the force retaliated in self-defence, he claimed.

After a 30-minute encounter, the gang fled and the criminal was found bullet-hit. He was declared dead in a local hospital, he said.