Three more die in anti-drug raids in Chattogram, Cumilla

Three more people have been killed in anti-drug ‘shootouts’ with law-enforcement agencies in two districts during the ongoing anti-drug crackdown throughout the country.

Two unidentified persons, aged between 35 and 25, have been killed in a ‘shootout’ in Chattogram, said RAB.

The deceased in a Chattogram ‘shootout’ with RAB have been suspected drug traffickers. The ‘shootout’ took place at around 2am on Thursday near Lalkhan Bazar in Motijharna, said Assistant Director of RAB -7 ASP Mimtanur Rahman.

RAB officials recovered firearms and 85kg of cannabis from the microbus carrying the suspected drug traffickers, Mimtanur said.

The man who died in the Cumilla ‘shootout’ has been identified as 48-year-old Khorshed Alam, a resident of Ganganagar village in Debidwar Upazila, said Daudkandi Model Police Station chief Alamgir Hossain.

The police said they received a tip-off that Khorshed, a ‘listed drug trader’, was carrying a consignment of drugs to Dhaka in a private car. When they started checking vehicles near Hasanpur College, the ‘shootout’ took place, Hossain said.

Khorshed died while being taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

Police retrieved 80kg of cannabis and a firearm from the scene and confiscated the car carrying Khorshed.

Khorshed was named in 13 cases with different police stations of Cumilla, Dhaka and Narayanganj, said police.

At least 200 people have been killed in the last two months in similar incidents.