Gang member held after gunfight in Sundarbans
Rab seizes 23 firearms, 1523 bullets
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a member of a forest robber gang in possession of 23 firearms and 1,523 bullets from the Sundarbans in Khulna district while police arrested a leader of an outlawed party and seized five firearms and ammunition from Pachuria in Rajbari Sadar upazila on Monday.
UNB reports: A Rab team conducted a drive in Badurjhola Khal area of the Sundarbans in Koyra upazila under Khulna district on Monday evening, following information about the presence of forest robber gang 'Elias Bahini' members in the area, Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, commanding officer of Rab-6 in Khulna, said at a press briefing yesterday morning.
"Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the gang members opened fire, forcing the elite force to retaliate that triggered a gunfight around 7:00pm. Several gunshots were traded between the criminals and Rab during the 10-minute fight.
"Rab members arrested gang member Shahin while his associates managed to flee. They also recovered seven double barrel guns, nine single barrel guns, five .22 rifles, one shutter gun and one foreign 303 rifle and 1,523 bullets from the spot," the Rab officer said.
Away in Rajbari, police arrested a regional leader of an outlawed party and recovered five firearms and ammunition from Pachuria in Sadar upazila on Monday afternoon, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
The arrestee is Akram Hossain, 44, a regional leader of outlawed Maoist Bolshevik Organisation Movement, police said.
Acting on a tip, a team from Detective Branch (DB) of police in Rajbari raided a mahogany orchard at Pachuria village where cadres of the outlawed party were holding a clandestine meeting at about 3:30pm, Rajbari Superintendent of Police Zihadul Kabir told a press briefing at his office yesterday.
Police arrested Akram, while his accomplices managed to flee.
Later, police recovered one 9mm pistol, one rifle, two shutter guns, one pipe gun, eight cartridges and five bullets after digging a spot of the orchard following his confession.
"Akram is accused in 10 cases including those for arms smuggling filed with different police stations in Kushtia and Rajbari districts. A magistrate court in Rajbari sent him to jail today [Tuesday]," the SP said.