5 outlaws among 8 killed in 3 districts

Two top outlawed party leaders were killed during 'crossfire' with police while three outlaws killed by party rivals in Chuadanga. A couple was slaughtered in Jhenidah and a businessman was beaten to death in Kushtia for not paying illegal toll.

A Sub-Inspector (SI) of police was also injured during shootout in Chuadanga. According to police, two top leaders of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) Abul Hasem alias Kajal 35, son of Ramzan Ali of Khadimpur village and Obaidul Haq alias tiger 30, son of Asef Ali of Bhedmari in Alamdanga upazila, Chuadanga were arrested on Saturday. Police recovered two rifles and 20 rounds of bullets from them.

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Police said they took Hasem, an accused in 24 murder cases and Tiger, an accused in 12 criminal cases to Khadempur Akondobaria field to recover hidden firearms as per their confession during interrogation.

At one stage, PBCP cadres opened fire on police. Police returned fire. The shootout continued for an hour. Hasem and Tiger received bullet injuries while trying to escape. Hasem died on the spot while Tiger died on way to hospital.

Police SI Ebad of Alamdanga was injured during the shootout. Police recovered two guns and three bullets from the spot.

In another incident at Westpara village in Alamdanga upazila, PBCP-ML cadres gunned down two brothers. Police said PBCP men stormed into the house of Panjab Ali and picked up his two sons Sariful Islam, 30, and Rafikul Islam, 27, at gunpoint.

They took them to a nearby field and shot them point blank. Both died on the spot. Police said, both of them belonged to PBCP-Janajuddho. PBCP claimed responsibility of the killings. Police recovered the bodies and sent to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital for autopsy. A case was filed.

Another incident occurred at Sambhunagar village in Alamdanga upazila where other gangs of PBCP-ML caught Abdul Majid, 32, son of Rupchad and slaughtered him at a nearby field.

Police and family sources said, Majid was an accused in several cases and a cadre of outlawed Janajuddho. PBCP-ML, however, claimed the responsibility of the killing.

In Jhenidah, Janajuddho factions of PBCP-ML slaughtered a couple at Poltadanga village in Harinakundu upazila. The dead victims are Sariful Islam alias Salok, 35, and his wife Sobeda Khatun, 26.

Police said Janajuddho men stormed into the house of Salok, an alleged cadre of outlawed PBCP-ML. They took him out to a nearby field and killed him. Salok's wife Sobeda followed the gang and appealed to them to save her husband's life.

But they tied her with her husband and slaughtered her also. Police recovered the bodies and sent those to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

Police said Salok was an accused in a murder case filed with Harinakundu police station. A case was filed.

In Kushtia, outlawed cadres have beaten a businessman to death as he denied to paying them illegal toll in Kumarkhali upazila. Police said the gang allegedly belonging to outlawed party stormed into the house of Biduyt Kumar Kundu in Elongipara area in the upazila town and picked him at gunpoint.

They took Biduyt, a timber trader to an abandoned house of Noor textile market and beat him. Then the gang strangled him. Family sources said the gang demanded illegal toll amounting to Tk 50,000 from him.

Police sent the body to Kushtia General Hospital for autopsy. A case was filed with Kumarkhali police station.