Two killed in 'shootout'

Two people were killed in a shootout between Rapid Action Battalion personnel and alleged carjackers in Ashulia early yesterday.
The deceased are Hasan Matbar, 25, and Monir Hossain, 28. Rab claimed they were involved in carjacking.
Acting on a tip off that some carjackers were waylaying near Morning Glory School on Bishmail-Jirabo Road, a special team of plainclothes Rab went on a drive to capture them, says a Rab press release.
The press release claimed that the gang halted the unmarked Rab vehicle and tried to overpower the Rab personnel inside to take over the vehicle.
The Rab personnel chased them but the 'carjackers' opened fire on them forcing Rab to retaliate. According to Rab officials, the two were bullet hit during that time.
The injured died after they were taken to Savar Upazila Health Complex.
Rab recovered two foreign pistols, 10 bullets, six bullet shells and two knives from the spot.
Rab officials claimed that a group of thugs had been mugging, abducting people and carjacking over the last few days in the area.
However, Shumi Akhter, sister of deceased Hasan Matbar, told The Daily Star that Hasan was the owner of Chandra Para Automobiles and Manir Hossain was a worker of his workshop.
They have no priors or cases filed in any police station, she said.
She claimed that a driver of the workshop, who was arrested in connection with kidnapping a child, implicated her brother and Rab personnel murdered him.