Two killed in alleged shootout with RAB in Hatia

Two people have been killed in an alleged shootout with RAB in Noakhali’s island Upazila of Hatia.

The incident occurred at Chatala wharf in Boyarchor early on Tuesday morning, said RAB-11 Lakshmipur Camp Senior Assistant Director Superintendent of Police Md Jashimuddin Chowdhury.

The dead have been identified as Saiful Islam, and Shafiq, 24. RAB say they were local pirates.

“RAB received a tip that pirates were preparing for a robbery,” said RAB official Chowdhury. “The pirates notices the RAB team and opened fire. RAB retaliated in self-defence, killing two. One of them, Saiful, was the head of the pirate gang. Shafiq was his second-in-command.”

Saiful is listed at the Home Ministry as a pirate, he said.

“Saiful and his gang had robbed fishing boats and taken fishermen hostage for ransom on the Meghna River and the Bay of Bengal for quite some time.”

RAB recovered six firearms, 10 rocket flares, 37 sets of mobile phones and Tk 54,000 paid as ransom, the RAB official said.

Saiful had been accused of murder, robbery and abduction in nine cases, he said.

SI Mafizul and Constable Mahbub were injured in the shootout and are receiving treatment at the Subarnachar Upazila Medical Complex, Chowdhury added.