Five highway dacoits, one cop killed, 7 cops injured in encounter in Comilla

Comilla, June 17 (BDNEWS) - Five highway pirates were killed and seven police men injured in an encounter with police in Brahmanpara upazila of Comilla Thursday mid night. Earlier, a police constable Sirajul Islam was killed and three cops injured when a bus carrying the dacoits hit a patrol car of police. Seriously injured cops were rushed to the Comilla Medical College hospital. The dacoits earlier hijacked the minibus from Moinamoti area in Comilla and forced the passengers to get down after looting their valuables. After hitting the patrol car, the dacoits boarding the bus tried to flee away through Madhavpur village. Getting message from their colleagues, a police team led by Debidwar Officer in-charge cordoned off the area and managed to catch six inter-district bus dacoits. They also recovered cash Tk 12 thousand, two wristwatches, one wallet, one mobile phone set and other goods snatched from the passengers. When the police team along with the arrested dacoits reached Kalamura bridge area to arrest other dacoits, the accomplices of the arrested opened fire on the law enforcers. Police also retaliated with counter fire triggering a gunfight between the police and dacoits. Five bus dacoits - Kamrul (22), Dulal (28), Faruk (28), Kanchan (26) and Abdul Wahab (30) - were received bullets during the fierce gun battle. They were taken to the Debidwar hospital where the attending doctors declared them dead. Police recovered one rifle, three rounds of bullet and 12 rounds of cartridge from the spot. Police sources said, during the encounter seven cops - Uttam Kumar, SI Belayet Hossain, SI Akram Uddin, SI Sanjit Chandra Das, constables Ataur Rahman, Aminul Islam and Farid Miah – were injured. Namaz-e-janaza of constable Sirajul Islam was held after Juma prayer at the premises of the Comilla Police Line Jam-e-mosque. Shipping Minister Lt Col (Retd) Akbar Hossain, whip Ashraf Hossain, the deputy commissioner and Police Super were present at the janaza. According to police sources, the minibus of Gulistan– Chiriakhana route in the capital, started for Noakhali taking passengers from Kanchpur bridge Thursday night. As the bus reached near Moinamoti cantonment in Comilla, bus driver and helpers told that the bus would not go to Noakhali and dropped the passengers there. The driver and helpers of the minibus then changed the route toward Debidwar. They took passengers from Moinamati cantonment area and started for Debidwar. On the way, dacoits looted the belongings of the passengers. BDNEWS/2035 hrs