Three people have been killed in two separate shootouts with RAB in Cox’s Bazar.
Of them, two died in one incident and the third in another.
They have been identified as Ashik Jahangir Kudrat, 32, from Mymensingh, Arif Hossain, 30, from Narayanganj and Deedarul Islam, 32, from Cox's Bazar.
Lieutenant Mirza Shahed of RAB-7 Teknaf team said a RAB team signalled a truck to stop while crossing a checkpoint near Keruntoli in the early hours of Tuesday.
Instead, the criminals aboard the truck opened fire on them triggering a gunfight and at one point they fled the scene, he said.
Mirza added that two of the criminals - Kudrat and Hossain - were later found on the spot and rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.
Two shotguns, eight rounds of bullets, 100,000 yaba pills were recovered from the truck, he further said.
Major Md Mehedi Hasan, company commander of Cox’s Bazar RAB-7 team said they were given a tip-off that a group of pirates were preparing to commit robbery at Kutubdia Dwip.
Afterwards, a RAB team launched a drive there at around 4:00 am. Sensing their presence, the pirates opened fire on them leading to a gunfight, he said.
The RAB officer added that a listed pirate Deedarul Islam, 32, from Cox's Bazar's Uttar Amjakhali was found dead on the scene after his fellows fled.
They also recovered numerous firearms and ammunition from the spot, he further said.
Human-rights groups have doubted the law enforcers’ version of the gunfights and demanded separate investigations into every such incident, calling these ‘extrajudicial killings’.
The government, however, has defended the law-enforcing agencies, saying these incidents were gunfights.
