2 suspected criminals killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfights’

Two alleged criminals on law enforcers’ wanted list were killed in separate “gunfights” in Cox’s Bazar on Friday and Thursday night.

In Teknaf upazila, a Rohingya man was killed in a reported gunfight with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Bazar in the early hours of Friday.

Law enforcement identified the dead man as Hasimullah, 33, head of the Rohingya bandit group Hashem Bahini.

RAB 15 confirmed the matter in a press release at 11am on Friday.

It is said that Hasimullah, the head of the top Rohingya bandit group “Hashem Bahini”, was killed during an exchange of fire with the RAB in Damdamia area under Teknaf police station.

Local and foreign arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.

The incident took place when a team from RAB 15 conducted a drive in Damdamia Friday morning after receiving tip-off about a robbery.

Meanwhile, a suspected drug dealer was killed in a reported gunfight with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Ukhiya upazila.

The incident took place in Nalbania village under Palongkhali union of the upazila at around 9pm on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Lutfar Rahman, 40, was accused in over a dozen cases, according to Cox’s Bazar BGB 34 Cdr Lt Col Ali Haider Azad Ahmed. 

He said: "A team of BGB was patrolling the shrimp enclosure area in Nalbania on Thursday night when they confronted some men over suspicious behaviour. In an attempt to evade arrest, the suspected drug dealers opened fire on the BGB men.

"As the BGB team retaliated in self-defence, the suspects soon fled the scene," he added.

The BGB members searched the area and found Lutfar, who had been shot, and recovered 50,000 yaba pills along with a gun and ammunition, the BGB commander added.

Later, the body of the deceased was sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Over the incident, the BGB lodged a case with the Ukhiya police station.