Rohingya man dies in alleged shootout with BGB in Cox’s Bazar

A Rohingya man has been killed in an alleged shootout with Border Guards Bangladesh or BGB in Cox’s Bazar.

The incident took place in the Jadimura neighbourhood in Hila Union in the early hours of Sunday, said Lt Col Md Faisal Hasan Khan, head of Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion.  

The dead man has been identified as Mohammad Aias, 25, a resident of Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia.

BGB officials believe Aias was a drug trafficker.

“A BGB team conducted an operation at Jadimura border point of Naf River after receiving information about a huge consignment of Yaba tablets being smuggled by the traffickers. The officials spotted a group of people crossing the Naf River by boat and signalled them to stop,” Khan said.

“But the men opened fire on the BGB team forcing them to retaliate. Three people fled the scene by jumping into the river while Aias was found wounded in the boat.”  

He was rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex and the doctors asked him to transfer to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where doctors on duty declared him dead.

The body was sent to the hospital’s morgue for an autopsy.

Three BGB officials were also injured in the incident, Khan said, adding that 220,000 yaba tablets, two guns, a bullet and a bullet shell were recovered from the scene.