 Sarbahara leader killed in RAB ‘crossfire’ in Barisal
July 12: An alleged underground operative was killed in an "encounter" between the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and outlawed Sarbaharas at Brahmandia village under Babuganj upazila of the district early this morning. The dead was identified as Sultan Mia, 44, an alleged terrorist and regional leader of the Kamrul faction of the outlawed Sarbahara Party. RAB claimed that Sultan was an accused in about 17 cases of murder, rape, looting, and money extortion lodged with Babuganj, Uzirpur and Gournadi police stations. The "crossfire" killing of Sultan caused mixed reaction among the locals with some people celebrating and others staging protest against the RAB operation, sources said.
According to Captain Iftekhar, commander of RAB, Barisal unit, Sultan Mia of Babuganj and Imam Hossain of Gournadi, two Sarbahara operatives were arrested last Saturday from Hotel Jamuna at Mahakhali area of Dhaka when they were holding in a secret meeting there. Hotel Jamuna - where the elite meet to eat plot |
Later the two were taken to Barisal and interrogated for three days at the local camp of RAB.
On the basis of their "confessional statements" they were taken to Babuganj and Gournadi on Tuesday by two RAB teams for recovery of arms and ammunition. | The same old story, yet it never fails to amuse |
Sources said, when Sultan Mia was taken to Brahmandia village under Babuganj, his associates led by Kamal Hossain attacked RAB members and tried to snatch him from their custody. | Got a name for one of the attackers, that's new |
Sultan was killed in the "encounter" that followed, he added. But the attackers managed to flee from the spot after a half-an-hour-long gun battle. | ...and neither has the "flee" without a trace... |
Later RAB members recovered a shutter gun, two rounds of SMG bullet and two empty cartridges. | ...and recovering the same shutter gun, ol' Betsy |
Abdul Malek, a RAB constable, was injured during the ‘encounter’ and was admitted to Barisal Police Hospital. | Bullet wound? Hang nail? Strained back from lifting dead body out of patrol car before the "encounter"? |
Local people brought out a procession and distributed sweets hailing the RAB operation after hearing the news of Sultan’s killing, sources said. | "Hurray! Sultan's dead! Sweets for everyone!" |
The other RAB team with Imam Hossain went to Purbo Adhuna village of Sharikal union under Gournadi upazila and according to his "confession" the team recovered a shutter gun and a Chinese axe from his house. | No "encounter" for him. Yet. |
Haji Abdul Latif Mridha, father and Jahangir Hossain Mridha, younger brother of Imam claimed that the arms recovery was a drama staged by the RAB as an eyewash. | Boy, nothing gets past Haji |
Local people there brought out a procession protesting the arrest of Imam by RAB and demanding his immediate release.
It may be mentioned that locally popular Imam Hossain was defeated by his rival in the last UP chairman election by a narrow margin. RAB sources said, after interrogation, Imam would be handed over to Gournadi police station.
Six muggers killed, 5 cops injured in fire fights
Six unidentified muggers were killed and six people including five cops were injured in two separate incidents of shootout between police and armed gangsters in the city’s Kazipara at Mirpur and Lalmatia at Mohammadpur yesterday. Three unidentified robbers were killed and a member of police was injured in an exchange of fire at Lalmatia while three other muggers were killed and five persons injured, including four cops, in another shootout between the gangsters and police yesterday.
In the first incident, police and hospital sources said, a gang of five unidentified muggers forced their way into the house of one Jalal at house no 5/7, block-E, Lalmatia under Mohammadpur police station at about 8: 15 last night. As the robbers were trying to loot the house, the inmates shouted for help and a patrol team of Mohammadpur Thana police rushed to the spot. Sensing the presence of police the muggers tried to shoot their way out, | "You'll never take us alive, coppers!" |
but the police personnel returned fire. As a result two muggers were killed on the spot and another died on the way to hospital. "Ouch...rosebud..rosebud..rosebud "An SI was also hit by bullets during the shootout. Two members of the gang of muggers managed to flee the spot. Police recovered a 9mm pistol, a revolver and two machetes from the spot.
The bodies of the three muggers were sent to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for autopsy. | "He's dead, Jim. So's he and that guy over there." |
In a similar incident, a patrol team of Mirpur Thana police challenged a gang of muggers numbering seven or eight for their suspicious movement at Baishbari, Masjid Lane at Kazipara in Mirpur at about 4.30pm yesterday. Sensing danger the muggers hurled bombs and opened fire on the police personnel. | "Hark! I sense danger, time to hurl!" |
Two muggers were killed on the spot and another was critically injured in the exchange of fire. | Gee, that sounds a awful lot like the last story |
Two policemen and a bystander received bomb injuries during the clash. But the rest of the muggers managed to flee the scene. | "Feet, don't fail us now!" |
Police recovered a pistol loaded with three rounds of bullet, two machetes and two bombs from the spot. The bodies of the muggers were sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. | "What, more deaders? Dammit, we'll be working all night, again" |
The injured policemen were taken to the Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital while the injured mugger and the passerby rushed to the Emergency Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where the attending doctor declared the robber dead. When contacted DMP (Dhaka Metropolitan Police) commissioner Mizanur Rahman told The Independent that at least 12 teams of different intelligence agencies fanned out across the city and were conducting block raids in different areas to nab the rest of the criminals who fled the spots. No cases were filed with the respective police stations in these connections till this report was filed at about 10.30pm yesterday. |