Alleged criminal killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfight’

An alleged criminal was killed in a "gunfight" with police in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar early today.

The deceased, identified as Ariful Islam, was around 22 years old and accused in five cases, including murder, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reports quoting police.

Acting on a tip off that Arif and his cohorts were staying at the fish landing area of Moheshkhalia-Para, a team of Teknaf police conducted an operation at the place around 3:00am, said Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station.

Sensing law enforcers' presence, cohorts of Arif opened fire on police forcing them to retaliate triggering a gunfight, the OC said.

Police found Arif lying on the ground with a bullet wound after the gunfight, he said.

Three police men were also injured during the gunfight, Pradip said.

After primary treatment at Teknaf Upazila Health Complex, Arif was taken to Cox's Bazar General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the OC said.

Meanwhile, the injured police men were given primary treatment at the upazila health complex.

One locally made long barrel gun and some ammunition were recovered from the spot, the police official said.

The body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy, he added.

The body will be handed back to police after the autopsy, said Dr Shaheen Mohammad Abdur Rahman Chowdhury, residential medical officer (RMO) of the hospital.

Arif was the son of Nurul Islam, an ex-ward member of Teknaf Sadar Union.