3 ‘drug dealers’ killed in Jashore gunfight

Three suspected drug traders were killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on the Paira-Noapara road in Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore early Saturday. 

They were identified as Abul Kalam, 48, son of Kader Ali Morol, Habibur Rahman, 38, son of Abdul Barik Sheikh and Milon Kashari, 40, son of Sattar Kashari of Noapara village.

 “A RAB team signalled the trio to stop when were passing by a check post in a bike around 2am. But ignoring the signal, they tried to speed away,” RAB-6 Company Commander Zahid Hassan was quoted by UNB as saying.

When the elite force members tried to catch them, the three opened fire on them, prompting the RAB team to retaliate and thus triggering the gunfight, he added.

With bullets injuries in different parts of their bodies, they were taken to Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex, where on-duty doctors declared them dead around 7am.

Two pistols, one magazine, five rounds of bullets, 400 bottles of phensidyl and one axe were recovered from the scene.

Goni Miah, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar police station, said the RAB members handed the bodies over to the police station.

‘Zero tolerance approach to drugs’

In the aftermath of the incident, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that the government was following a zero tolerance policy to prevent the proliferation of drugs. 

"We are following a zero tolerance approach to drug abuse and drug peddling,” he said while addressing a program of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad at Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka later in the day.

‘Continue drives against drugs’

Earlier on May 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the RAB to continue its drives against drug abuse as this menace is spreading fast in society.

‘We’ve been able to achieve huge successes by conducting drives against extremism and militancy. Now, such drives will have to continue against drug abuse,” she told the 14th founding anniversary of RAB at its headquarters in Kurmitola.