Four persons, said to be pirates, were killed in a ‘gunfight’ with the Rapid Action Battalion on Wednesday morning at Sharonkhola under the east wing of the Sundarbans Forest Division in Bagerhat.
Local fishermen identified the deceased as Zulfikar Ali Zulfu, leader of a pirate gang called ‘Zulfikar Bahini’, Hafizur Rahman, second-in-command of the gang, Sanwar Hossain Sanu and Zakir Hossain.
The latest incident took to 36 the number of such people killed extrajudicially in so-called ‘crossfire,’ ‘gunfight’ or ‘encounter’ after January 1.
Two hundred and sixty-six people have so far fallen victim to extrajudicial killing by law enforcers since 6 January, 2009 when this government assumed office with the commitment to put an end to extrajudicial killing.
The commanding officer of RAB-8, Lieutenant Colonel Monirul Haque, told New Age that four ‘pirates’ were killed in the ‘gunfight’ that had taken place from 9:25am to 10:50am in Boro Shawlar Khalpar area under Supati Range of Pashchim Sundarbans.
RAB members later recovered four dead bodies, and seized eight firearms including two 9.0mm pistols, three light guns, one single-barrel gun, 1 one-shooter gun, one rifle, 141 rounds of bullets and 60 rounds of used cartridges, four sharp weapons, one binocular, 48 ‘Tiger’ brand drinks, 10 packets of cigarettes, fruits and cooking materials and a trawler from the spot. The dead bodies and guns and other items will be handed over to Sharonkhola police after completing legal formalities, said RAB officials.
Sub-inspector Mustafizur Rahman, acting officer-in-charge of Sharonkhola thana, said that the dead bodies would be sent to Bagherhat General Hospital’s morgue for autopsy.
He could not tell reporters whether any cases had been filed against the deceased, but said that they were ‘notorious’ in the region for piracy and collecting ransom for kidnapped fishermen.
-With New Age input
