A man, who police said was an extortionist, died in what was described as a gun battle that took place in Chandgaon of Chittagong early yesterday.
Arman Hazari, 28, son of Hazi Shab of Samsher Para in Chandgaon, was accused in 50 cases filed with different police stations in Chittagong, said Chandgaon police station Sub-Inspector Jaker Hossain Bhuiyan.
“Arman would extort money from locals, especially traders,” he said.
Describing how the gunfight took place, SI Jaker said: “A police team raided Samsher Para area around 4am, after they were tipped off that Arman and his cohorts were there. Sensing police presence, Arman and his associates opened fire at police, prompting the team to fire back.”
Both groups exchanged bullets for around half an hour and police detained Arman, who sustained bullet injuries during the gunfight.
“Arman was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment around 5:30am,” said ASI Pankaj Barua of the hospital’s police outpost.
“Arman received bullet wounds in the knee and thigh.”
SI Jaker said three of Arman’s associates - Dipu Barua, 23, Nuruddin alias Tufan, 21, and Md Raihan Uddin, 21 – were detained from the scene of the gunfight. “Three guns and six rounds of bullet were seized from the detainees.”
Four policemen – SI Md Nasim, SI Arnab, SI Atauddin and ASI Monirul Islam – were also injured in the shootout and were given first aid at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
A case was filed with Chandagon police station in this connection.
On August 17, suspected yaba trader Zahidul Islam Alo was killed in a gunfight with RAB in the port city’s Akbarshah area.