Nine people, including four policemen and five suspected robbers, were injured during a gun battle in Jessore’s Khajura early yesterday, said police.
The four police officials are Masudur Rahman, sub-inspector of Khajura police camp, Constable Tuhin Khan, Constable Dipu and Constable Akimul Islam while the five suspected robbers are Abdul Hai of Munshiganj, Faruq alias Badshah of Khulna, Anisur Rahman of Savar, Hasan Abdullah of Jhalakati and Rajib Hossain of Sylhet.
All nine injured were sent to Jessore General Hospital.
Additional Superintendent of Police in Jessore KM Ariful Haque said a microbus carrying a group of robbers disguised as detectives was moving around the Jessore-Magura highway at the time of sehri.
“Shots were fired from inside the vehicle when police signalled the driver to stop, prompting the patrol team to fire back. Other members of the gang fled during the shootout, except the five who received injuries and were detained by police,” he said.
ASP Ariful said three firearms, five sets of police uniforms, a walkie-talkie and some sharp weapons were recovered from the scene.
Faruq, one of the five suspected robbers injured in the gun battle, claimed he is a fruit trader in Dhaka’s Shahbagh and was travelling to Dhaka from Khulna on Thursday morning when police detained him and several others in Khajura.
“We were held at Khajura police camp. At night, I was tied up, blindfolded and shot. I do not know the other suspected robbers who sustained bullet injuries,” he said.
Dr Abdur Rashid of the hospital’s emergency department said a policeman brought all nine men to the hospital around 3:30am and senior police officials arrived after a while.
Sub-Inspector of Bagharpara police station Fakir Pannu Mia said the arms and other stuff recovered from the scene were kept at the police station.