At least two people were killed in a reported gunfight between members of the joint forces and crime suspects in Chand Udyan area in the capital’s Mohammadpur early Thursday.
The deceased are Jumman, 26, who hailed from Shariatpur, and Miraz, 28, who hailed from Charfasson in Bhola, said police, adding that they were ‘criminals’ and were accused in several cases.
Both were living in the Chand Udyan area at their rented houses and were involved in mugging and other criminal activities, according to police and local people.
Mohammadpur police station officer-in-charge Ali Iftekhar Hasan said that both the deceased were identified criminals in the area and Jumman is accused in nine cases while Miraz is accused in four cases filed with the police station.
Raju Ahmed, a sub-inspector of Mohammadpur police, filed a case against five named and 10-12 unnamed people on Thursday afternoon over allegations of attacking law enforcers with intent to kill, Ali Iftekhar said, adding that they had sent two bodies to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.
The joint forces detained five people from the spot and handed them over to the Mohammadpur police station, said a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate.
The ISPR claimed that the joint forces, including the army and the police, carried out an operation in the Mohammadpur’s Chand Udyan area at about 12:30am on Thursday after receiving a tip-off about preparation for mugging.
When the members of joint forces cordoned off ‘criminals’ from both sides of a lane during the operation, the ‘criminals’ opened fire on them from the rooftop of a one-storied building, said the ISPR, adding that the operation team fired on them immediately in self-defence and detained five people with arms.
Later, the team recovered two bodies from the rooftop and recovered a pistol, four rounds of bullets and a machete from the detained, said the ISPR.
It said that such operations would continue in the coming days to protect people’s lives and properties.
Crimes, including extortion, mugging, looting and robberies, have been on the rise in the area in recent months.
Many people in Dhaka Udyan area and the other adjacent areas left their rented houses and moved to the other areas due to the rising crime incidents at Mohammadpur.