An alleged ringleader of sea robbers’ gang was shot dead in a “gunfight” with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Urir Char in Sandwip upazila of Chittagong yesterday morning.
The deceased was identified as Shahadat Hossain alias Jasu, 30.
Meanwhile, police found three bodies in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Sandwip, but they could not confirm their identity, said Mohammad Shahidullah, additional superintendent of police of Chittagong (north zone).
Local sources claimed that the bodies were of three other robbers killed during the “gunfight.”
Major Md Shahed Hasan Rajib, commanding officer of RAB11 Comilla Camp, told the Dhaka Tribune that a gang of sea robberswere locked in the gunfight with the elite force when its ringleader, Jasu, was shot dead around 10:30am.
“We had conducteddrives at Urir Char since March 30 night to catch Jasu and his cohorts as we had information that theyhad taken position there ahead of March 31 upazila polls at Sandwip,” he said.
“The RAB personnel cordoned off the entire island to capture the pirates,” he said, adding that the gang of robbers had also tried to flee the island.
When they tried to capture the robbersabout at 5amthe gang members opened fire on the lawmen, forcing them to retaliate, he claimed. The robberswere compelled to take shelter in a nearby forest off the shore.
While the robbers were trying to leave the island by boats and trawlers, they again fought with the law enforcers at 10:30am. An unidentified robber died on the spot during the gunfight.
The RAB official said the cohorts of the deceased managed to flee the scene and the law enforcers identified the body of the deceased as Shahadat Hossain Jasu with the help of locals.
RAB recovered a revolver, two single-barrel guns and huge ammunition from the spot.
Local sources claimed that RAB men picked up Jasu along with three of his cohorts from the island on March 31 night. Four robbers were killed during the gunfight with RAB men at Urir Char on Wednesday and three bodies recovered from the Bay were of the robbers, they alleged.
Lt Col Tareq Sayeed, commanding officer of RAB 11, refuted the allegations. Jasu was involved in robbery at sea, killing, abduction and other crimes at Urir Char, Hatiya and Sandwip in Noakhali and Chittagong, police sources said.
