RAB claims to gun down two ‘pirate’ brothers in Chattogram ‘shootout’

The Rapid Action Battalion has claimed to have killed two brothers who it says were pirates in a so-called 'gunfight' in broad daylight in Chattogram's Banshkhali.

The ‘shootout’ took place at Dakkhin Saral village under Saral union on Friday afternoon when a RAB team went there to catch Zafar Ahmed alias Zafar Member, RAB-7 Assistant Director ASP Mashqur Rahman said. 

Zafar and his brother Khalilur Rahman died in the ‘gunfight’, Mashqur said.

Zafar had 33 cases against him on charges of murder, piracy and robbery, while Khalilur had eight cases against him, according to the RAB official.

He said their team launched the operation on being tipped off that Zafar and members of his pirate gang, who target fishing boats in the Bay of Bengal, were staying in the village.

“They fired on being aware of the presence of RAB and we retaliated. Zafar and Khalil’s bodies were found after a gunfight lasting about 20 minutes,” the RAB official said.    

Eight firearms, 50 rounds of bullet, and some locally made weapons were recovered from the scene, Mashqur said.

Three RAB officials were injured in the ‘shootout’ and were being sent to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, he added.