One picket was gunned down and four sustained bullet injuries in a reported gunfight with police in Nunachhara of Sitakunda upazila of the district yesterday.
The deceased is Arif, 24, from Shekherhat village in the upazila, while the injured are CNG-run autorickshaw driver Rubel, 20, Sohel, 22, Nur Hadis, 22, and Parvez, 18.
Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost in-Charge SI Jahirul Islam confirmed the death to the Dhaka Tribune around 11:50pm, and said Arif and the four are pickets.
Sitakunda model police station Assistant Superintendent of Police Saiful Islam said the arrestees are activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The ASP added that 10-12 miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a police vehicle patrolling in the area around 9:15pm. However, none were injured in the attack.
In retaliation, police immediately conducted a special drive in the area to arrest the criminals and finally managed to chase them.
At one stage, the blockaders began firing at the police team, creating a fierce shootout between both sides there, the ASP added.
After the gunfight, police arrested five, including Arif, and recovered 10 crude bombs, two petrol bombs, one lighter gun, and three rounds of bullets from the scene, the official said.
‘’The injured were admitted to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex at first, and then they were referred to CMCH as their condition deteriorated, where doctors declared Arif dead,’’ said on-duty physician of the health complex Muhammad Nur.