Kushtia: A suspected outlawed party leader was killed in a shootout between his associates and police at Khursha village in Mirpur upazila early Monday.

The dead was identified as Siddiqur Rahman alias Siddique, 35, a commander of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML) and son of late Ismail Hossain of village Chakmirpur in the upazilla.

Police said Siddique was wanted in nine cases, including five involving murders.

Bheramara thana circle officer Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal told banglanews24.com.bd that, acting on secret information, police raided the village at about 1:30am while the PBCP members were in a clandestine meeting to conduct “subversive acts”.  

As the law-enforcers reached near a canal, the outlaws opened fire on them. In retaliation, police also fired back, says the police version of the late-night incident.

“Siddique got caught in the crossfire during the gunfight and died on the spot,” said police in a spot account of the armed encounter.
Three “terrorists” have been killed in such incidents of gunfight with police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel in last 15 days in the district, police said.

BDST: 10:22 AM. May 24, 2010.
SMM/LY/MUA