More than 200 rounds of ammunition were fired, police recovered one gun
Four persons, alleged to be pirates, were killed in a lynch-mob attack, after a gunfight between two rival groups in the Meghna estuary under Tajumuddin upazila in Bhola on Saturday night.
The deceased were identified as Joynal, 53, ringleader of ‘Speaker Bahini’, Salauddin, 26, of Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur, Giasuddin, 35, of Kalagachhiya of Monpura under Bhola and the kingpin of ‘Gias Bahini’ and his associate Jahir alias Dhuya Jahir, 35, of Baliakandi under Tajumuddin upazila.
Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tajumuddin police station, said pirates belonging to the two groups, ‘Speaker-Bahini’ and ‘Gias-Bahini’, engaged in gunfight in different areas of Hatiya under Lakshmipur and the adjacent Char Jahiruddin area since Saturday noon, creating panic among the fishermen. The sporadic gun battle continued until the evening.
Thereafter, at around 8pm, the local inhabitants and the fishermen of Teliar Char cornered both the groups, nabbed the four pirates, gave them a good beating and killed  them, he said.
The OC said more than 200 rounds of ammunition had been fired during the gunfight and the police had recovered one gun, two rounds of fresh cartridges and some sharp weapons from the spot.
Sub-inspector of the police station, Abul Bashar, lodged two separate cases in this connection.
More than 500 villagers and pirates have been charged with murder. The four deceased pirates were accused in more than four dozen cases lodged with different police stations of Bhola and Laxmipur districts, the police said.
Their bodies were recovered from Master Bazaar of Teliar Char and sent to Bhola Sadar Hospital for autopsy, the OC added.
Another sub-inspector at the police station, Humayun Kabir said the pirates had extended their activities to the Meghna estuary and the coastal regions to take over control of hilsa fishing in the belt.
Meanwhile, early Sunday, the local fishermen detained nine people from Samraj Ghat area and handed them over to Charfession police station, on suspicion of belonging to the pirate gangs.
Those arrested are: Mohiuddin, 31, Firoz, 26, Rubel, 20, Aktar, 26, Salauddin, 22, Milon, 22, Sahabuddin, 26, Salauddin-2, 26, and Kader, 26.
Local people said although leaders of pirate gangs, ‘Speaker Bahini’ and ‘Gias Bahini’, had been killed, other pirate gangs led by Waziullah, Kalam and Swapan were still active in the coastal belt.
They urged the concerned authorities to take prompt action to restrain the pirate groups, on an urgent basis, to ensure the safety and security of the fishermen.
Via: http://www.dhakatribune.com/
