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| Bangladesh |
| 3 Jamaat-Shibir men killed in 'gunfight' |
| 2014-01-27 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] Three people -- two of them Islami Chhatra Shibir ... the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh... activists, and the other a Jamaat leader -- were killed in "shootouts" with joint forces in Satkhira and Jhenidah early yesterday. The law enforcement agencies said three sub-inspectors and three constables were also hurt in the fights. The dear departed were Enamul Haque, 50, the secretary for Financial Affairs of Jamaat's Kotchandpur upazila unit (killed in Jhenaidah); Abul Kalam, 22, secretary of Shibir's Debhata upazila unit, and Maruf alias Choto, 23 (both killed in Satkhira). Police claimed Maruf was the member of a Shibir suicide squad. Satkhira police said Kalam, son of Akbar Ali of Kulia village under Debhata in the district, was accused in at least 10 cases, including a murder case. Tarek Biswas, officer-in-charge of Debhata cop shoppe, said cases against him were filed in connection with the violence unleashed in February last year by Jamaat-Shibir after the verdict against Sayeedi. The men were also accused of killing Abu Raihan, organising secretary of Awami League's Debhata upazila unit, who was killed on November 21 last year. Maruf was accused in nine violence related cases, including a murder case. Police placed in durance vile Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! Kalam and Maruf from their village on Saturday around 9pm. Then, after getting the information from the arrestees, police, with the members of other forces, raided different places in Debhata to apprehend their accomplices. The Debhata police officer claimed: "When joint forces along with the accused neared the house of Ziaur Rahman, alias Zia, an Afghanistan war veteran, at Narkeli village around 5:30am, a number of Jamaat-Shibir cordoned them; the mob fired around 50 bullets and hurled 15 bombs at the joint force trying to snatch the arrestees." Then, in self-defence, members of the joint force started firing back, creating a 15-minute-long shootout. The officer added that Kalam and Maruf sustained bullet wounds, and were rushed to Debhata Upazila Health Complex, and then to Sadar Hospital as their condition deteriorated. Doctors declared them dead around 6:50am. He claimed that two constables and one SI sustained minor injuries during the shootout. Shahjahan Khan, officer-in-charge of Kotchandpur cop shoppe, said the Jhenaidah Jamaat leader was accused in a number of cases filed in connection with recent violence staged by the Jamaat-Shibir men in Kotchandpur upazila. Police said he was one of the main people accused of attacking police and snatching their arms, on February 2013, immediately after the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi ...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami... to die in a war crimes case. Police said Enamul was also involved in cutting down government trees, blocking roads and torching polling centers during the polls on January 5. The Jhenaidah shootout took place at Nawdagram Secondary School grounds in Kotchandpur upazila. The police officer said, acting on a tip-off, joint forces came to know that some criminals were holding a secret meeting in the dead of night, and went to conduct a raid around 2am. He added: "Sensing our presence, Jamaat-Shibir men fired 10 bullets and hurled three bombs. The forces fired back, creating a 20-minute shootout." Enamul Haque, who was in the meeting, led the attack. He was hit by a bullet, he said. Sub-inspectors Mijanur Rahman, Moktar Hossain, and constable Joydev sustained injuries during the shootout, added the officer. Police recovered a shuttered gun and two bombs from the scene, after the attackers had fled. Kotchandpur upazila ameer of Jamaat, Tajul Islam, said police arrested Haque while he was returning home from his Nirbahi upazila office around 4pm on Saturday. |
| Posted by:Fred |