Outlaw killed in 'gunfight'

A top cadre of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party's (PBCP-ML) Janajuddho faction was killed in a 'shootout' with police in Sadar upazila of Chuadanga early yesterday.

The deceased, Kohinur Rahman alias Ketu, 43, was accused in six cases including three for murders filed with different police stations in Meherpur and Chuadanga, police said.

“Police arrested Ketu from a hideout of Keraniganj in Dhaka on Tuesday morning. He was brought to Chuadanga Sadar Police Station in the evening. During interrogation, Ketu admitted about his firearms at Bhalipur village in the district,” said Amir Abbas, officer-in-charge (OC-operation) of Chuadanga Sadar Police Station.

“Police started with Ketu to recover the hidden firearms. As soon as the law enforcers reached the spot on Chuadanga-Jhenidah highway, Ketu's aides opened fire, triggering a gunfight between them and police,” he said.

“Ketu was killed in a line of fire when he tried to flee from police custody with handcuff. The other outlaws managed to flee the scene. Police seized one revolver, six bullets, six crude bombs and six knives from the spot,” the OC said.

Five police personnel, who were injured in the incident, were given first aid at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, said Ahsan Habib, assistant superintendent of police in Chuadanga.

“Ketu, a close aid of Janajuddho founder Abdur Rashid Malitha alias Dada Tapan, fled his home district Chuadanga to evade arrest several years ago. But he continued extortion from different people through phone,” the official said.