11 more killed in anti-drug drives

Eleven more suspected drug meddlers, including a Teknaf ward councillor, were killed across the country in reported gunfights early Sunday taking to 86 killed during the crackdown on drugs in 13 days since May 15.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, responding to journalists after a meeting on law and order situation ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr at the ministry, on Sunday said that the anti-drug drives would continue until the drug menace came under control. ‘It is not a special drive.’ 
Asked if the ongoing method of ‘gunfight’ was the solution to contain drugs, he said that the government would follow the suitable methods that work good against ‘drug aggression’.
‘We will not spare anyone. One of our [Awami League] lawmakers [Amanur Rahman Khan Rana] is now in jail. The prime minister announced zero tolerance for drugs,’ the minister said.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted anti-drug raids in the city’s Karwanbazar and Ganaktuli area of Hazaribagh and arrested 97 suspected drug peddlers and addicts and seized drugs on Sunday.
The drives, jointly conducted by police stations concerned, Detective Branch, special armed force and dog squad, also seized 363 Yaba pills, 2 litres of Phenesedyl, 1 kilograms of hemp and 1500 litres of local liquor from Ganaktuli.
On Sunday, eleven more suspected drug peddlers, including Teknaf ward councillor Ekramul Haque, were killed in ‘gunfights’ in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Mymensingh, Khulna, Bagerhat, Thakurgaon, Kushtia, Chandpur, Meherpur and Jhenidah.
Of them, nine were killed in ‘gunfights’ with law enforcers in nine districts and the rest two were killed in ‘gunfights’ between two groups of drug peddlers, police claimed. 
New Age correspondent in Cox’s Bazar, quoting Rapid Action Battalion-7 crimes prevention company-2 commander Ruhul Amin, reported that suspected top drug peddler and Teknaf municipality ward-3 councillor Ekramul Haque, also an Awami Juba League leader, was killed in a reported gunfight with the battalion at Noakhalipara under Teknaf upazila early Sunday.
Ruhul Amin said that the battalion members found the body of Ekramul from the spot and seized 10,000 Yaba pills, a pistol, a one-shooter gun and six bullets
after the gunfight.
New Age correspondent in Mymensingh, quoting the district Detective Branch officer-in-charge Ashiqur Rahman, reported that an unidentified drug peddler was killed in a gunfight with police at Morakhola of the city at about 1:30am.
Cops recovered 100 grams of heroin, 100 Yaba tablets and two machetes from the spot, he said.
In Chittagong, suspected drug peddler Md Rihan Prakash, 27, of Golabaria of Sitakunda upazila was killed in a reported gunfight with police in Guliakhali Sandwip ferry ghat area at about 12:45am, said Sitakunda police station officer-in-charge Mozammel Haque.
He claimed that police also arrested three of Rihan’s associates – Zafor, Sumon and Titu – at the spot.
In Khulna, suspected drug peddler Abul Kalam of Ichhamati under Abhoynagar upazila in Jessore was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with police in Barakpur Siddiqpasa ferry jetty area under Dighalia upazila at about 3:00am, said Khulna district superintendent of police SM Shafiullah.
Police seized 100 Yaba pills from the spot, he said.
In Bagerhat, suspected drug peddler Mitul Biswas, 45, of Chingguri village under Chitalmari upazila was killed in a reported gunfight with police in an orchard at the village at about 3:15am, said Chitalmari police station officer-in-charge Anukul Chandra Sarker.
He said that police recovered 100 Yaba tablets, 2kg hemp, a shutter gun, two bullets and a machete from the spot.
New Age correspondent in Noakhali, quoting district additional superintend of police AKM Zahirul Islam, reported that suspected drug peddler Hasan Mia of Banoai village under Sonaimuri upazila was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with police at Bogadia under the upazila at about 3:00am.
Police recovered a gun, seven bullets and 120 Yaba tablets from the spot, he said.
In Kushtia, suspected drug peddler Halim Mandal, 35, of Baria village under sadar upazila, was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with police in housing D-block field area in the district town at about 1:30am, said Kushtia model police station officer-in-charge Nasir Uddin.
He said that they also recovered two firearms, three bullets and 800 Yaba tablets from the spot.
In Thakurgaon, suspected drug peddler Rafiqul Islam, 55, of Bhornia village under Ranisankail upazila, was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Miradangi under Ranisankail upazila early Sunday, said Thakurgaon superintendent of police Farhat Ahmed.
In Chandpur, suspected drug paddler Selim Mia, 35, of Upadhi village, was killed in a reported gunfight at Hazirdon under Matlab south upazila at about 2:50am, said Matlab police station officer-in-charge Kutub Uddin.
He said that they recovered two firearms, four bullets, six empty cartridges and 110 Yaba tablets from the spot.
In Meherpur, suspected drug peddler Hafizul Islam Hafi, 45, was killed in a reported gunfight between two groups of drug peddlers at Bathangari field of Garabaria village under Gangni upazila at about 2:00am, claimed Gangni police station officer-in-charge Harendra Nath Sarker.
He said that being informed about ‘gunfight’, a team of police conducted a drive there. Sensing the presence of police, the drug peddlers fled away and the cops rescued bullet-hit Hafizul on the spot and rushed him to Gangni sadar hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead.
Police also recovered a one shooter gun and 112 bottles of Phensidyl from the spot.
New Age correspondent in Jhenidah, quoting Shailkupa police station officer-in-charge Alamgir Hossain, reported that suspected drug peddler Liton Molla, 35, of Sheikh Para village under Shailkupa was killed in a reported gunfight between two groups of drug peddlers at Jamtola area of Shailkupa upazila at about 2:30am.
He said that they recovered one firearm, three bullets, 10 bottles of Phensedyl and a good number of Yaba tablets from the spot.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net