Rajapalong Union Parishad member, Rohingya man killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfight’

Two alleged drug dealers, including a member of Rajapalong Union Parishad, were killed in a reported gunfight with police in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar early today.

The deceased are Moulovi Bokhtiar, 55, member of ward no-3 of Rajapalong Union Parishad in Ukhiya upazila, and Md Taher, 27, a resident of Kutupalong Rohingya Camp.

Pradip Kumar, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station, confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

Police recovered locally made five LG guns, 17 rounds of bullets and shells of 13 rounds bullets from the spot.

Four police men were injured during the incident. They are Majharul Islam, assistant sub-inspector, constables Md Shahidul Islam, Md Habib and Abu Hanif, said police.

Moulovi Bokhtiar was locally known as Rohingya Raja (king).

There were several cases against the duo under the Narcotics Control Act, Pradip Kumar said.

The OC said, "Police conducted a raid in Nhilla of Teknaf on Thursday night and detained a local named Md Eunus with 20,000 pieces of yaba pills.  Based on his confessional statement, police detained Md Taher. Md Taher told the police that Moulovi Bokhtiar is the original owner of the yaba pills. Police then conducted a raid at Bokhtiar's house. They detained him and seized 20,000 pieces of yaba pills and cash Tk10 lakh from there."

"Then police conducted another raid in Akashmoni garden in Nhilla and took Eunus, Bokhtiar and Taher with them to recover yaba tablets and firearms. The owner of the garden is a Saudi expatriate named Nur Hossain. Sensing the presence of the police men, Bokhtiar and Taher's associates opened fire on them. The police also fired back in self-defence, which triggered the gunfight. At one stage, all the associates fled the scene. Then police recovered bullet sustained Boktiar and Taher and took them to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. The duty doctor of the hospital declared them dead," he added.

A case has been filed in this regard.

So far 56 people were killed during reported gunfights with members of law enforcers.  Of them 26 were "robbers" and other are "drug dealers". Most of them were Rohingya people.