Rohingya suspect in murder of Teknaf Jubo League leader dies in police ‘shootout’

Another man from the Rohingya community with alleged links to the murder of Omar Faruk, a local leader of the ruling Awami League’s youth front Jubo League, has been killed in a so-called shootout with police in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf.

The incident took place at Hnila Union’s Jadimura area early on Monday morning, said Teknaf Police OC Pradip Kumar Das.

The dead man, identified as Mohammed Hassan, 28, was a resident of Jadimura Rohingya Camp. He had crossed the border into Bangladesh from the Akyab district in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Hassan is the third accused in the murder case to die in an armed confrontation with police following the deaths two other Rohingya suspects in a shootout on Saturday.

“A police team launched a drive on information that a few suspects in the Faruk murder case, including armed criminals, had been spotted in Jadimura. The suspects opened fire on the police prompting them to retaliate,” OC Pradip said.

“At one point, a man was found lying on the ground with bullet-wounds. He was rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.”

On Aug 3, Omar Faruk, the president of Hnila Union Ward-9 wing of Jubo League, was picked up from his home and shot dead by ‘Rohingya assailants’ in the Jadimura area under Teknaf’s Hnila Union.

“Hassan was a member of a criminal gang. He was named in the case over the killing of Jubo League leader Faruk,” said OC Pradip.

Police recovered a gun and five bullets from the scene, he said, adding that three policemen were also wounded in the incident.