Two shot dead,12 robbers held in Ctg

Twelve members of a gang involved in one robbery at a bazaar at Banshkhali were also arrested yesterday.

In Rangunina, a gang of armed robbers shot dead a truck driver, Md Salauddin, 35, at Zianagar under Rangunia at around 5.30am yesterday, police said.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Earlier, the gang blocked the road in a bid to loot vehicles passing through the area.

The truck was carrying mangoes and vegetables.

Angered by the news, truck drivers and workers put up barricades on the road protesting the killing. They also attacked a few vehicles before police brought the situation under control.

In Banshkhali, an armed gang of about 50 robbers stormed into Napora Bazaar at around 8.30pm on Tuesday and looted goods and valuables worth around Tk 40 lakh.

Before the looting, the gang started firing indiscriminately to create panic among the shop owners, buyers and other people.

A vegetable trader, Fayezul Haq, 25, son of Ekram Miah of Shekherkheel area, died on the spot. At least 30 others were injured, 10 of them bullet-hit, during the attack.

Police rushed to the spot and exchanged fire with the gang but failed to arrest anybody.

Joytish Dhar, 48, Swapan Das, 22, Salimullah, 48, Soleman, 43, Badiul Alam, 44, Tapas, 17, Mafiz, 28, Ishaq, 24, Santosh Kanti Das, 36, and Abu Syed, 19, were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) with bullet wounds.

During a manhunt from early yesterday morning, district police and Banshkhali police with the help of local people arrested 12 robbers from Puichhari and Gandamara areas.

Police also recovered one rifle, one LG, four bullets, a big knife, wristwatches, cameras and umbrellas from nearby hilly area.

The arrested are Omar Ali, Anwar, Jasimuddin, Md Kamal, Faridul Alam, Mohammad Miah, Alamgir, Jalil Uddin, Md Younus, Md Ismail, Abdus Shukkur and Nurul Amin.

District Police Super Matiur Rahman visited the spot and set up a police camp at Napora Bazaar to maintain law and order.