DB firing kills elderly man

Detective Branch (DB) of police shot dead an elderly person at a village in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj early yesterday.
Police and villagers gave two different explanations for the killing of Nurul Islam, 60.
Villagers said a team of plainclothes DB police from the district headquarters led by Sub Inspector (SI) Belayet Hossain arrested Zebu Miah, an alleged drug peddler, from his Alinagar village home around 12:30am.
Policemen and Zebu's family members were locked in an argument as Zebu's father Nurul Islam asked the cause of the arrest. At one stage, the police opened fire in which Nurul received a bullet in his left thigh and bled to death. Soon after villagers surrounded the policemen, they freed the arrestee in a hurry and left the scene.
However, Superintendent of Police, Habiganj, Mohammad Ali Miah told the Daily Star yesterday afternoon that a team of five DB police arrested Zebu. While returning from the village with the arrestee, villagers attacked the policemen after Zebu shouted out that dacoits caught him. All the police personnel sustained injuries in the attack and they opened fire in retaliation, causing the death of Nurul Islam.
They fired three bullets, he said. The remote village is about 28 kilometres from the upazila headquarters and only one kilometre from the Indian border.
Madhabpur police sent the body to Habiganj Sadar Hospital for post mortem.
Locals said Zebu was involved in peddling phensidyl but recently he left that illegal profession. Besides, there was no case against him.
They said DB SI Belayet went to the house for realising money by threatening to arrest Zebu for his earlier activities since Zebu's elder brother returned from the Middle East a few days ago.
A 3-member committee led by Additional Superintendent of Police Zillur Rahman has been formed to investigate the matter and submit a report within 24 hours.
Shamsul Islam, chairman of Dharmapur union parishad, said there was no attack on the DB Police.
Enamul Haque, a retired army man and a neighbour of the deceased, said he requested the police not to arrest Zebu as there was no case against him.