3 gunned down at Karwan Bazaar

Unidentified gunmen on Friday shot and killed three men at Karwan Bazaar in the capital. Faruq Molla, 55, and Mohammed Ashraf Mia, 50, were killed on the spot. A third, Nuruddin Sarker Jewel, 35, bodyguard of Faruq, had no bullet wounds in his body and doctors believed that he might have died of a heart attack. UPDATES

Dhaka, June 26 (bdnews24.com)—Unidentified gunmen on Friday shot and killed three men at Karwan Bazaar in the capital.

Faruq Molla, 55, and Mohammed Ashraf Mia, 50, were killed on the spot. A third, Nuruddin Sarker Jewel, 35, bodyguard of Faruq, had no bullet wounds in his body and doctors believed that he might have died of a heart attack.

Autopsy would confirm the cause, they said.

A fruit trader and homeopath doctor, Abdur Rahim, 55, was also shot. He was an Awami League leader of ward 39 of Dhaka City Corporation.

Faruq Molla, better known as LC Faruq, was a local Jatiya party leader and Ashraf was the senior vice-president of AL of ward 39 of DCC. They had fruit and other businesses at Karwan Bazaar.

Officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station Mahbubur Rahman told bdnews24.com, "Some four or five terrorists opened fire in the 1 DIT Market Traders Association office at around 1:30pm. Two men were killed and one was injured on the spot."

"Jewel ran out from the office and fell on the road in front of the fish market. Local people took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead."

Mohammad Nannu, relative of Faruq Molla, told bdnews24.com that Faruq was the president of Karwan Bazaar Fruit Traders Association. He added that Faruq and his four companions had been preparing to go to the mosque for Friday prayers.

A security guard of the market, Jakir Hossain, told bdnews24.com that he had been 'sleeping' in the association's office room and got up hearing gunshots. Some young men were firing from their pistols.

After a while, he said, they went out as people were shouting and chasing them. He joined the mob but the gunmen fled in a white microbus.

Hossain also said he had seen three men lying on the floor, shot and only Rahim was alive among them.

A staff of a nearby shop Shah Jalal told bdnews24.com that he had been eating when had seen five to six men of 20-25 years of age. They had

been threatening him but started running as people had been shouting.

OC Mahbubur Rahman could not say anything about the motive.

Some local traders ascribed the killings to possible conflicts over business and domination of the market.

There are complaints of extortion and coercion against Molla. He had allegedly helped terrorist 'Picchi Hannan' who was killed in a so-called crossfire with RAB.

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