Members of the police's elite force, Rapid Action Battalion
, killed three alleged criminals including two siblings during "shootouts" in the capital and Rangpur early yesterday.RAB and police claimed that the victims
had been charged with murder and other offences, and that they opened fire in self-defence only.
However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow...
family members of one of the victims Yasin Sarker Rajon alleged that the RAB personnel had picked him up on July 12.
The two others are Manik, 32, and Sumon, 27, sons of Ameer Ali of Rangpur.
Rajon, 25, was injured in a shootout between a patrol team of RAB 2 and some muggers in Taltola area of Agargaon around 2am. He departed this vale of tears at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 4am.
In a statement, RAB confirmed death of an unidentified criminal during the shootout. They also claimed to have recovered two foreign-made pistols and seven bullets from the spot.
The elite force has been criticised since its formation in 2004 for extrajudicial killings and giving the same version before the media after every incident of the so-called shootout or crossfire.
Rajon's family came to know about the murder from the media and his brothers-in-law Ujjal Miah and Panna Miah identified him at the morgue yesterday afternoon.
They claimed that Rajon, a contractor by profession, had been picked up by RAB 2 members around 10pm on July 12. His seven month pregnant wife Shammi Akhter said Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police had filed two false cases against him recently.
Denying the forcer's having any involvement in abducting Rajon, RAB 2 Commanding Officer Lt Col SM Masud Rana said the area was not under their jurisdiction.
When contacted, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police chief GG Biswas said the dear departed had four cases against him. Rajon was charged in one case recently.
In another incident, two brothers were killed in a shootout with the RAB members near Desh Hospital and the cantonment check post in Rangpur around 3am yesterday.
Some miscreants attacked a RAB 13 patrol team with sharp weapons when the elite force members challenged the brothers, Deputy Commander Maj Ashraf Ali said.
"The brothers were killed when the RAB members fired in self-defence," he claimed adding that Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam and Lt Imran had suffered injuries inflicted by sharp weapons.
Two pistols, bullets and sharp weapons were recovered from the spot, RAB says.
Kotwali police OC Abdul Kader Zilani said Manik and Sumon were accused in several criminal cases, including for the murder of Limon on July 12.