Two killed in Aftabnagar ‘gunfight’ are Banani murder suspects, police say

The two people killed in a so-called gunfight with police detectives in Dhaka’s Aftabnagar are suspects in the case over the murder of a businessman in Banani.

The gunfight took place in the neighbourhood early on Friday, Badda Police Station OC Kazi Wazed Ali said.

Police have identified the dead suspects as ‘Pichchi Alamin’ and ‘Saddam’, who they claim took part in the killing of manpower exporter Siddique Hossain Munshi in Banani on Nov 14. 

Golam Saklain, a senior assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, told bdnews24.com that a team of detective police conducted a drive in Aftabnagar early in the morning following a tip-off that criminals were in the area. 

He said five to six criminals were at the scene and they opened fire on the police when the law enforcers arrived.

“Police retaliated with gunfire. Later, we found two people hit by bullets at the scene. The others fled,” he said.

Police recovered two pistols and four bullets from the scene, the detective said.

Personnel from Badda Police Station took the duo to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but the doctors declared them dead.

DMCH Police Camp Sub-Inspector Bachchu Mia said the two dead suspects were aged between 25 and 30.

Detective Saklain said Helal Uddin, a suspect arrested on charges of killing businessman Siddique, identified the two from photos of the dead bodies.

After the arrest of Helal, police said on Wednesday that six people, including Helal, Alalmin and Saddam, carried out the Banani murder on ‘orders from a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader living in Europe’.

Police said Helal, a ‘professional killer’, has admitted to murdering the businessman.