 [Bangla Daily Star] Two brothers, who were operatives of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), were killed during a "shootout" between their cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion in Madaripur sadar upazila early yesterday.
| I'm surprised there are any Purba Banglar commies left in all B'desh. How do they manage to recruit new cadres? What do you say to a young lad to get him to join up? |
| It's better to burn out than it is to rust, perhaps. |
The dead were identified as Lutfor Rahman Khalasi, 45, and his younger brother Khairul Haque Khalasi, 28, of Kotbari Srinodi village in the upazila. In July last year, their another brother Obaidur Khalasi died in a similar "shootout".
| So it runs in the family ... |
On information, a Rab team went to Jalkar area where the outlaws were holding a meeting, Rab sources said.
| "Okay, guys, how's the membership drive going?" |
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the operatives opened fire on Rab personnel forcing them to fire back.
| That's going to whittle the membership down ... |
After the gunfight, the brothers were found dead on the spot while their accomplices fled the scene.
The Rab men recovered three revolvers, a rifle and nine bullets from the spot.
| Nine bullets minus the two in the brothers ... |
The brothers were accused in several cases of murder, rape, robbery and illegal possession of arms with Madaripur, Shibchar and Rajoir thanas.
| So their mother pro'ly didn't sign their membership cards ... |
Lutfor Khalasi's wife Jharna Begum and son Bablu Khalasi, 20, claimed that Madaripur Rab did not give them any information after the Rab men picked up Lutfor and Khairul Saturday morning.
At a press conference in Madaripur on Saturday, Jharna Begum and Bablu appealed for not killing the brothers in the name of crossfire. They also mentioned in the press conference that Rab-3 had arrested the brothers from Rupganj in Narayanganj around 1:00am on Saturday.
Jharna and Bablu were apprehensive that instead of handing the brothers over to police, Rab might take them to Madaripur and kill them in the name of an attempt to recover illegal arms.
| Just about what happened ... |
On receiving the news of their death, Jharna and Bablu claimed that the Rab team killed the two after knowing about the home ministry sending a directive for not putting them in crossfire. |