[Bangla Daily Star] Three suspected criminals were killed in separate incidents of 'shootout' in Khulna, Kushtia and Pabna Friday night and early yesterday.The deceased were identified as Arifur Alam Akkas, 45, a pirate active in the Sundarbans, Murad Hossain alias Bhola, 40, a leader of outlawed Gano Bahini, and Hasan Ali alias Hasan Kosai, 32, a cadre of Janajuddha.
Police said Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel arrested Akkas, accused in a number of cases, from his Khalishpur residence in Khulna city Friday evening.
As per his statement, Rab and police took him to an abandoned hospital at Hatiadanga village in Koira upazila to recover arms on the night.
When the law-enforcers reached the village, the associates of Akkas opened fire on them triggering a gunfight.
Akkas was caught in the line of fire while trying to flee and died on the spot, police said.
They said two police and two Rab men were also injured during the gunfight. Two guns and six bullets were recovered from the spot.
In Kushtia, acting on a tip-off police raided Kaya Child Heaven School where a group of Gano Bahini men were holding a meeting at about 4:30am yesterday.
Sensing the presence of police, the outlaws opened fire at them prompting them to fire back. At one stage, the outlaws managed to flee the scene.
Police later found the body of Murad lying on the ground.
Police recovered a shutter gun and two bullets from the spot.
According to police, Murad was accused in 11 cases, including six for murder.
Our Pabna correspondent says: Police raided Shimulchhora area in Sadar upazila after receiving information that the outlaws of Janajuddha were holding a meeting there early yesterday.
As soon as they reached Shimulchhora around 2:00am, the outlaws started firing at the law enforcers forcing them to retaliate.
Hasan, wanted in a number of cases, was killed during the gunfight, police said.
He was also a convicted fugitive sentenced to 32 years' imprisonment in a murder case, police added.