A Union Parishad (UP) member and a man from the Rohingya community were killed in a reported gunfight with the police in Wabrang of Cox's Bazar's Teknaf in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased, Rajapalong UP member Bakhtiar Ahmed Prakash, 55, and Md Taher, 27, from the E-block of Kutupalong Rohingya Camp in Teknaf, were accused in a yaba smuggling case.
On Thursday night, police conducted a drive and arrested Bakhtiar and Md Taher, said Teknaf police station Officer-in-Charge (OC), Pradip Kumar Das.
During preliminary interrogation, Bakhtiar and Taher told police that yaba dealing would take place in Wabrang. Police conducted another drive in the early hours of Friday and took Bakhtiar and Taher with them, OC Pradip continued.
Associates of Bakhtiar and Taher ambushed the police team with firearms during the drive and tried to rescue the two, triggering a gunfight, added OC Pradip.
Following the gunfight, police found Bakhtiar and Taher injured and initially took them to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex and later to Cox’s Bazar Sadar hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared them dead, said Pradip.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Majharul Islam, constables Md Shahidul Islam, Md Habib, and Md Hanif, were also injured in the gunfight, according to Pradip.
Police recovered five locally made light guns, 17 bullets and 20,000 yaba tablets from the spot.
