2 killed in 'gunfights'

Two people, including a Jubo Dal leader, were killed in separate “gunfights” with police in Savar and Lakshmipur early yesterday.

The victim in Savar was identified as Shah Alam Nayan, 42, organising secretary of Savar municipality unit Jubo Dal.

He was accused in at least 10 cases for various offences including police assault, drug and possessing arms and was awarded life imprisonment in a case, law enforcers said.

SM Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station, said a team picked him up from Mohammadpur in the capital and took him to a nursery of Krishibid Foundation in Birulia area around 2:30am to recover firearms.

Sensing presence of law enforcers, criminals opened fire on the police, who also retaliated.

At one stage, Nayan was shot, police said.

He was whisked off to Savar Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.

Police claimed he used to run a drug racket in Savar, Ashulia and Amin Bazar on the outskirts of the capital.

His family members, however, alleged that police “shot him dead” for his political affiliation with the BNP and also for money and then cooked up a story.

“Some police personnel including Sub-inspector Tanmoy and Assistant Sub-inspector Ahsan picked up Nayan from a relative's house in Mohammadpur and took away around Tk 1.5 lakh from the house,” victim's brother-in-law Samrat Ahmed Parvez told The Daily Star over phone.

“They took handcuffed Nayan to our house in Hemayetpur of Savar and demanded Tk 2.5 lakh for his release. My father gave them the money,” Samrat claimed.

But the policemen did not release him saying they did not have the key to the handcuffs and took him with them assuring his release, he added.

“In between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Friday, I got a phone call. The caller introducing himself as SI Tanmoy threatened to kill my brother-in-law unless I paid them Tk 10 lakh,” he alleged. 

Later in the morning, he heard that Nayan was killed in a gunfight, he added.

SI Tanmoy could not be contacted, while ASI Ahsan asked this correspondent to talk to senior officials.

Contacted, Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman, superintendent of Dhaka district police, told The Daily Star that every law enforcement agency was looking for Nayan. There is no question of demanding money from a criminal like him, he added.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College for autopsy.

LAKSHMIPUR 'SHOOTOUT'

A robber was killed and three policemen were injured in a “gunfight” with police at Bibirhat of Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur early yesterday.

The dead was identified as Nizam, 28, son of Abdus Salam of Char Jabbar in Noakhali district.

Iqbal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Ramgati Police Station, said Nizam was arrested in Boyar Char area in Ramgati Friday night.

Based on his information, police took him to Bibirhat area to arrest his accomplices, who opened fire on the law enforcers. The police retaliated with gunshots and Nizam was killed in “crossfire”, he added.

Police said Nizam was accused in at least four cases for robbery, kidnapping and possessing firearms.