One dead in Dhaka shootout

A man has been killed in capital Dhaka's Mugda area on Sunday in what the police describe as a 'shootout'.

Police claim that the deceased, Mesbahuddin Tarek, 25, was involved in trading illegal fire arms.

But his family claimed that Tarek used to work in a readymade garment factory at Adamjee only a month ago. Detective Branch (DB) police had 'taken him away' in the early hours of Sunday.

The 'shootout' took place during a raid, according to police accounts.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Deputy Commissioner (Media) Md Masudur Rahman said a DB team arrested Tarek in the morning and took him along in the raid at Mugda's Green Model Town area.

He was arrested from the city's Shyampur area. Later, police raided different parts of the capital with him 'to recover illegal firearms', Rahman said.

He said, "Miscreants opened fire sensing the presence of the law enforcers and the police retaliated. In the shootout Tarek was hit."

He was taken to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) with bullet injuries, but the doctors declared him dead around 11am.

Two policemen - DB Inspector Nibaran Chandra Barman and Assistant Sub-Inspector Aktaruzzaman - were injured during the shootout, DC Rahman said.

He added that a pistol, two rounds of ammunition, and some sharp weapons were recovered from the spot.

A DMP press release, however, said Tarek was a member of a group led by 'terrorist and arms trader' 'Chandi Sumon' and 'Killer Shamim' who operate in Kadamtali and Matuaail areas.

He was an 'illegal arms trader and an extortionist' operating under their protection at those areas.

But the release did not say whether Tarek was accused in any cases.

His father Abu Jafar Shikdar identified Tarek's body around 8pm at DMCH mortuary.

Shikdar, who owns a pharmacy at Donia area, told reporters that his son used to work at a garment factory a month ago. He used run the pharmacy with his father since then.

Tarek was trying to go to Malaysia, Shikdar said.

"There is no case or GD against my son. Still he was taken away in the morning. Tarek at the time just said, 'father, I'm a victim of a conspiracy'."

Shikdar said he waited in front of the DB office the whole day to find out about his son's whereabouts, but in vain. Some people had told him to check the morgues at the evening, he said.

Tarek was the eldest among three brothers. The family hails from Chittagong's Padua.