Police have claimed a suspected drug dealer, who was under their custody, has been killed in a gunfight with them in Dhaka's Khilgaon area.
On the other hand, the family of the deceased, Sohel Hawlader Jhuna, a resident of Khilgaon, claimed he was murdered by police in the name of a gunfight.
The incident took place early Sunday.
Mashiur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khilgaon police station, said police arrested Sohel in connection with a case from the Airport area on Saturday evening, after he reached the capital from Cox's Bazar.
During primary interrogation, Sohel confessed that he had drugs and firearms in his possession.
"Later, we conducted a drive along with Sohel in the Noddarpar area to recover drugs and firearms.
"Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the associates of Sohel opened fire on police around 3am, prompting us to retaliate in self-defence."
He received wounds from bullets which were fired by his associates, the OC claimed.
At one stage, Sohel’s associates retreated from the spot.
Injured Sohel had three to four bullet wounds in his right arm and back, and he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), where the on-duty doctor declared him dead, the OC said.
Mashiur said he and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Khilgaon Zone) Assistant Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali received minor injuries during the gunfight.
Police recovered a revolver from the spot.
Meanwhile, refuting the police claim, Sohel's elder brother Jamal Hawlader told Dhaka Tribune that his brother was killed in the disguise of a gunfight.
Members of Airport police station handed his brother over to Khilgaon police after his arrest, he said.
"We called OC Mashiur [of Khilgaon police station] at night to know whether Sohel was under his custody or not. He said he [Sohel] was not in their custody.
"We sent a lawyer to the police station in the morning. The officials then found my brother's name in their documents and said he will be sent to court in connection with a new case; until then, we did not know the fact."
Jamal, however, blamed a police official and a local influential named Nur Mohammad, an accused in a drug case, for his brother's death.
