Shawdesh Desk:

Two alleged drug traders were killed in separate “gunfights” with members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Cox’s Bazar district early Sunday.

One of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Shahjahan (27) of Ukhiya upazila while identity of the other man, aged between 25 and 30 of Teknaf, could not be known immediately.

In Ukhiya, acting on a tip off that a big consignment of yaba from Myanmar will enter into Bangladesh; the BGB men took position at Tulatui Jaliler Goda bridge area, Lt Col Ali Haider Azad Ahmed, and commander of Cox’s Bazar 34 Battalion of BGB.

When a gang four to five person were entering Bangladesh through the border around 4:00am, the BGB men signaled them to stop. But the intruders opened fire at them, forcing them to retaliate triggering a “gunfight”, leaving Shahjahan injured, he said.

Later, Shahjahan was rushed to Ukhiya Health complex where duty doctor declared him dead.

Some 50,000 pieces of yaba and a firearm also recovered from the spot.

In Teknaf, the gunfight took place at Damdamia Natural Park area when three drug peddlers were swimming in the Naf river towards Bangladesh, said Lt Col Faisal Hasan Khan, commander of Cox’s Bazar 2 Battalion of BGB.

One of them was declared dead after he was taken to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex with bullet wounds, he said.

He claimed that they recovered 3.40 lakh pieces of yaba and a firearm from the spot.

The BGB official also said that the bodies were sent to the district Sadar Hospital for autopsies.