 Three suspected activists of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Janajuddha faction were killed in a 'shootout' with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday afternoon at Dhopaghata village under Pabna sadar upazila only hours after the slain had killed a rival outlaw at Jalalpur market under the same upazila. The three killed in the 'shootout' are Amirul, 25, from Lohagara village, Dulal, 28, and Lutfar, 30, from Hapania village under Ataikula thana.
Earlier at noon, a gang of outlaws belonging to PBCP Janajuddha faction attacked a regional leader of their rival PBCP Lal Pataka faction inside the crowded Jalalpur market. They gunned him down and hacked him to death, said the sources. The dead was identified as Amjad Hossain, 35, son of late Abu Jafar, of Chomorpur village under Ataikula thana. | "Yeah, that's Amjad. He's looked better." |
Locals chased the extremists and caught one of the suspected assailants, Dulal. The mob beat him up and handed him over to Rab 12.
| Should have stayed with the mob.... |
| The Banglas have admirable civic spirit. |
Following Dulal's confessional scream statement, a Rab team took him along at Dhopaghata in the afternoon to recover hidden firearms and capture his accomplices, said Rab. | Afternoon? Have another appointment at O dark thirty? |
Soon after the Rab team reached Dhopaghata, Dulal's cohorts fired on Rab prompting Rab to return fire that triggered a half-hour long gunfight, Rab added. | "It's da RAB, boys! Our only chance is wildly inaccurate fire!" |
Amirul, Dulal and Lutfar were found dead after the gunfight was over, claimed Rab. | I have no doubt they're dead. The only question is when they died and how close the muzzle was to the back of their heads. |
| And before or after they were tossed out the back of the truck ... |
The dead are accused in many cases filed in several police stations on twelve systems including Pabna and Ataikula, Rab said. Rab recovered a rifle, two bombs and some bullets from the scene. |