Detective Branch (DB) of Police has claimed that a suspected mugger died, reportedly in a "gunfight" while he a preparing for mugging. However, the family of the deceased, refuting the police's claim, said he was picked up by DB police some three days ago and was killed.
The deceased, identified as Abdul Mannan, 35, was found with 25 bullet wounds in his body after a “gunfight” with DB police in the Nagdar Par neighbourhood of Khilgaon in Dhaka.
Contradicting the DB police's claim about Mannan being a mugger, his family members said he was a car driver who had been living in Narayanganj’s Shiddhirganj with his wife and daughters.
The deadly encounter occurred around 3:25am on Monday in front of Wahidullah Shaheb’s tinshed area near the Demra-Rampura staff road adjacent to a bridge, said Md Asaduzzaman, deputy commissioner of DB (east) of DMP.
"We conducted a drive based on information from one of the gang members who was arrested in Mugda on Sunday evening," said Md Asaduzzaman, talking to Dhaka Tribune.
"7 to 8 muggers were preparing to attack, snatch or carry out a robbing incident as usual. Becoming aware of police presence, one of them opened fire at our team members. We fired back in retaliation, causing his death."
After the encounter, police found the bullet riddled body of Mannan while the other member of the ring fled the scene, he said, adding that one foreign made gun and 3 bullets have been recovered from the spot.
But Mannan’s brother-in-law Enamul told Dhaka Tribune, he was picked up from his uncle’s house in Patuakhali’s Kolapara by 5 men, who introduced themselves as DB members and police from Kolapara police station.
"They picked him up at around 10pm on Wednesday. We have visited the DB office over the last three days, but could not determine Mannan's whereabouts. Today a phone call came from Khilgaon police station to my sister (deceased’s wife) and they asked her to identify a dead body in Khilgaon," said Enamul.
"They just killed him in the name of gunfight."
When asked about DB’s claim suggesting Mannan's involvement in mugging, Enamul said: "They are telling lies. He was not involved in mugging. His friend would do such things and might have conspired against him."
He claimed, Mannan drove a private car for his employer for a long time.
"If he did anything wrong, he would be hung by court. Why was he shot and killed?”
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was sent to Dhaka Medical College Morgue for autopsy.
As per the inquest report, the deceased bore 25 bullet injuries on the body.
Two members of DB police were also injured and taken to the Central Police Hospital, Rajarbagh.
The deceased mugger, and the gang members arrested on Sunday, are believed to have been connected to the murder incident of Tarina Begum Lipi, 38, who died on February 29 after falling off a rickshaw when the muggers tried to snatch her handbag at Mugda in Dhaka.
DB arrested four men -- Mizuan Mia (29), Sheikh Liton (38), Abdul Majid (33) and Rafiq Hawlader (42) – on Sunday, and of them, Mizuan gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka court.
According to DB police, Mizuan joined hands with Abdul Majid five years ago and formed a gang.
After primary interrogation, police learned that Mizuan and Mannan used to take cars from Liton. Mannan would drive the car while Mizuan carried out snatching bags and valuables from people while in motion.