Twelve more suspected drug traders were killed in 'gunfights' during anti-narcotics crackdown early Monday across the country.
UNB reports, a total of 105 people were killed during this country-wide drive since May 12.
Human rights organisations have raised questions about the deaths during the crackdown, calling those ‘extrajudicial killings'.
In response, law enforcers insistently said what they always claimed that these deaths took place only when the latter shot in self-defense or in gunfights between the drug traders themselves.
Recently, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that security forces were conducting an ‘all-out war’ on drugs and would continue to do so until trafficking was eliminated.
On Monday, eight suspected drug traders died in 'gunfight' with law enforcers. Meanwhile, four others died in separate clashes among themselves.
In Cumilla, two suspected drug traders were killed in separate incidents of gunfights in Sadar Dakhshin and Debidwar upazilas early in the morning.
Enamul Haque Dolon, 35, son of late Abdullah Bhuiyan Alias Babul Miah of Bhinglabari area, was killed ina reported gunfight with police at Bhinglabari Beribadh area of Debidwar upazila. He was accused in 12 drug cases.
Police recovered 10kg hemp, 100 Yaba tablets, one pipegun and a cartridge from the spot.
Besides, Nuru Miah, 55, son of late Abdul Ohab of Kalikapur area of Sadar Dakhshin upazila, was killed in another gunfight with police in Goliyarai area. He was named in 13 drug cases.
Police recovered 40kg hemp, one pistol and one bullet from the spot.
Three policemen were injured.
In Pirojpur, a suspected drug trader, Wahiduzzaman Ohid, 50, hailing from Nesarabad upazila, was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Kourikhara village of Sadar upazila at around 2:00 am. He was accused in eight drug cases.
GM Abul Kalam Azad, additional superintendent of Pirojpur police, said the police recovered one pipe gun, 175 Yaba tablets, 50gm hemp and four cartridges from the spot.
Besides, Mizanur Rahman, 35, an accused in six cases, was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Gotichara village of Mathbaria upazila at around1:30 am.
Police recovered two kg hemp, 50 Yaba tablets and four sharp weapons from the spot, said Mostafa Swapan, additional superintendent of Mathbaria.
Three policemen were also injured.
In Dhaka, an unidentified drug trader was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Detective Branch (DB) of Police (west division) in Mirpur area of the capital.
The DB team recovered a pistol and five thousand Yaba tablets from the spot, said SI Mizan of Rupnagar.
In Natore, a suspected drug trader, Khalekuddin, was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Baghnagarkandi in Singra upazila at around2:00 am.
Police recovered several drugs, one pistol and some bullets from the spot.
Two RAB men were injured in the incident.
In Pabna, Ejjat Ali Pramanik, 28, an accused in 14 cases, including those of murder, robbery, abduction and extortion, was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Teghori Mahalla in Bera municipal area at around 1:30am.
Zihadul Kabir, superintendent of Pabna Police, said they recovered a local shutter gun, fourbullets and somedrugs from the spot.
Five policemen were injured in the incident.
In Chandpur, a suspected drug trader, Abu Sayeed Badsha alias Lal Badsha, 45, son of Absur Rashid, of Purba Gobindopur village in Faridganj upazila was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Boichatoli at around 2:00 am.
Shah Alam, officer-in-charge of Faridganj Police Station, said they recovered 111 Yaba tablets, a one-barrel pistol, three crude bombs and four bullets from the spot, adding that Badsha was an accused in 10 cases with different police stations.
Four policemen were injured in the gunfight.
In Satkhira, police recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two suspected drug traders from Bankal-Agunpur area at Alipur union in Sadar upazila at around 7:00 am.
One of the deceased was identified as Khalilur Rahman Puti, 35, son of Azgar Ali, of Bhomra village.
Prabir Kumar Das, sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station, said that on information, a team of police recovered the bodies from the area.
They also recovered a one shooter gun, one bullet, one bottle of liquor and 105 bottles of Phensidyl.
The sub-inspector said the drug traders might have been killed in a gunfight between two groups of drug traders over the sharing of drug money.
In Jhenidah, Farid, 27, son of late Mohammad Aliof Paglakanai in the district town was killed in a reported gunfight between two groups of drug traders at Jar village at around 1:00 pm. He was named in nine drug cases.
Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said on information about a gunfight between the groups, a patrol team reached the spot.
The drug traders sensed the presence of law enforcers and fled the scene.
Later, police recovered the bullet-hit body from the spot.
Besides, they recovered one foreign pistol and 20 bottles of Phensidyl.
In Munshiganj, Sumon Biswas alias Kana Sumon, 36, son of Babul Biswas, an accused in 25 cases, was killed in a reported gunfight between two group of drug traders at Murma village in Sadar upazila at around2:30 am, said Gazi Salauddin, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station.