March 29, 2024, 3:22 am


Farzana

Published:
2018-05-22 16:29:44 BdST

11 more die in anti-narcotics crackdown


FT ONLINE

Eleven more people have died overnight in what law-enforcement agencies described as shootouts as Bangladesh expanded its anti-drug crackdown.

Law-enforcement agencies said they engaged in gun battles with drug traffickers in eight districts overnight on Monday.

At least four persons—two each in Cumilla and Nilphamari—have been shot dead by the police while one person died in Chuadanga Netrokona and Dinajpur each. Four men were killed in RAB shootouts in Chattogram, Feni and Narayanganj and Brahmanbaria.

The Rapid Action Battalion and police said all of the deceased were involved in drug trafficking, with some of them named in multiple narcotics cases.

This takes the tally of alleged drug peddlers dying in “gunfights” to 33 by law-enforcement agencies throughout the country in the last eight days.

Although they disapprove the prevalence of drugs in the country, rights organisations expressed their anxiety over the killings and the way the law-enforcement agencies are combating drug trafficking. They demanded an end to these extrajudicial killings.

In Chattogram, listed drug trader Shukkur Ali, 45, was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Debarpara area under Bayazid Police Station around 2:30 am.

Assistant superintendent of Police Mimtanur Rahman of Rab-7 said that being tipped off, a team of Rab conducted a drive in the area.

Sensing presence of the elite force, a gang of drug traders opened fire on the, prompting them to retaliate, triggering the gun battle, which left Shukkur, accused in 10 cases, dead on the spot.

The team also recovered 10 thousand Yaba tablets, a shooter gun and huge amount of hemp from the spot.

In Cumilla, two suspected drug traders--Peyar Ali, 24, and Sharif, 26-- were killed in a reported gunfight with a joint team of law enforcers in Aranyapur area of Sadar upazila around 12:40 am.

Being tipped off, a joint team of police and Detective Branch of police led by Additional Police Superintendent Tanvir Salehin Sumon conducted drive in the area.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, a gang of drug traders opened fire on them, forcing them to retaliate which sparked off the gunfight, said Abu Salam Mia, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.

After the gunfight, the team recovered the bodies and 400 bottles of Phensidyl, 50 kg hemp, a pistol with two round bullets and a pazero zip.

Four policemen were also injured in the ‘gunfight’, police said.

In Feni, listed drug trader Mohammad Manzurul Alam Manju, 49, was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rab in Lemua area of sadar upazila early in the morning.

Squadron Leader Safayet Zamil Fahim of Rab-7 said the gunfight took place when they conducted drive in the area based on secret information.

After the gunfight, they recovered the body of Manju from the spot along with 10,000 pieces of Yaba tablets, 1 foreign pistol, seven round bullets and five bullet shells, he said.

Earlier, police arrested Manju in 2015 with 5 lakh Yaba tablets.

Manju was accused in several cases file with different police station sin Feni and Chattogram.

In Narayanganj, accused drug peddler Bachchu, said to be a top-listed man, was killed in Araihazar upazila.

A stash of yaba tablets and guns were seized from his possession, said a text message issued from Rapid Action Battalion.

In Nilphamari, two suspected drug traders Shahin, 28, son of Abdul Hannan, and Jalil, 32, son of Yusuf, residents of Nichu Colony in Saidpur municipality area were killed in a reported gunfight with police in Badhyabhumi area early in the morning.

Golam Pasha, officer-in-charge of Saidpur Police Station, said a team of police in a drive arrested Shahin and Jalil at night.

Later, they conducted another drive along with the duo to arrest other drug traders.

When, the team reached at the area, cohorts of Shahin and Jalil opened fire on the law enforcers, prompting them to gun back, triggering the gunfight which left the duo dead on the spot.

Later, police recovered 100 pieces of Yaba tablets, some bottles of Phensidyl syrup and a pistol from the spot.

Two policemen were also injured in the gunfight, he added.

In Dinajpur, the notorious drug trader of the district Probal Hossain was killed in a reported gunfight with police in Bhabanipur area of Birampur upazila around 2:30 am.

Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Birampur Police Station, said they recovered 92 bottles of phensidyl, and a revolver along with three round bullets from the sopt.

Two policemen were also injured in the gunfight, he added.

In Chuadanga, listed drug trader Kamruzzaman Sadu, 38, son of late Emdadul Haque of Hardi village in Alamdanga upazila, was killed in a reported gunfight with police near Alamdanga Police Station around 1:30 am.

Abu Zihad Fakhrul Alam Khan, officer-in-charge of Alamdanga Police station, said that being informed that a gang of drug traders were staying in the area, a police team conducted a drive in the area.

Sensing the presence of police, the gang opened fire on them, prompting them to retaliate, triggering the gun battle.

After half an hour of the ‘gunfight’, the law enforcers recovered the bullet-hit body of Sadu, accused in 12 cases, from the spot along with a pistol, three round bullets and a sack of Phensidyl.

Meanwhile, four policemen were also injured during the ‘gun battle’, police said.

In Netrokona, an activist of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Amzad Hossain, 32, was killed in "gunfight" with police. Netrokona Model Police Station OC Borhan Uddin Khan said he was a listed drug peddler and accused in as many as 13 cases including murder, arms and explosives.

500gm heroin, 305 pieces of yaba pills and a pipe gun were recovered from him, the OC said. Four police officials were injured during the gun-battle. Police members took them for treatment at Netrokona Sadar Hospital this morning.

In Brahmanbaria, a notorious drug peddler, Dhan Mia, was killed in Bancharampur upazila, according to text message sent from its headquarters.The details of the reported shootout is yet to be known.

The agencies have been providing almost similar description of all incidents saying the drug traffickers attack them during raids and get killed only when law-enforcement agents retaliate in self-defence.

However, families of some of the dead complained they were picked up and killed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared a war on drugs during an event in Sunday, saying the government has begun a special drive to make the country ‘drug free’ and RAB has been given the main responsibility for it.

Also, the Detective Branch of Police, Railway Police, Police and Border Guard Bangladesh are seen conducting a crackdown on drug trafficking.

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