FE Report

Four more alleged snatchers were injured in a gunfight with plainclothes police in early hours of Friday at Mohammadpur in the capital with a special drive against crime under way here, police sources said.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) launched the drive against criminals, including snatchers, drug peddlers and illegal arm holders on May 14 in the wake of fast deterioration of the city's law and order situation.

After being informed by the police control room that a group of snatchers in a black taxicab drove to the Mohammadpur area for committing crimes, a police team from the police station rushed to the spot.

When the police team reached an area adjacent to the Nabinagar Housing, they found the black taxicab and the criminals mugging a passenger of a CNG-run three-wheeler at gunpoint at about 2:00am.

Sensing danger, the young snatchers tried to run away by firing gunshots at the law enforcers that forced the policemen to fire back, turning the area into a battlefield, an officer of the police station said.

Masum (25), Sohel (26), Jodge Miah (28) and Liton (30) were injured in the shootout while other members of the gang managed to flee with their firearms, the police officer said, adding that the injured persons were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Police also recovered sharp weapons and the black taxicab from the spot but could not manage to retrieve any firearms used in the shootout.

However, the four injured persons denied the police allegation that they were snatchers.

With the four, some 10 snatchers have so far been injured in separate gunfights with the city police over the last seven days.

Meanwhile, a convicted killer in a seven-murder case was arrested from Narayanganj Friday morning.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from Lalbagh police station in the city raided a house at Sollarpar village of Sonargaon in Narayanganj district and arrested Abdus Salam Moti, (45) from there at about 5am.

"Moti was sentenced to death in the case in 2008 in absentia as he had been absconding since the incident," Sub-inspector of the Lalbagh police station Alamgir Hossain told the FE.

On January 31 in 1994, a gang of terrorists led by the defeated pro-BNP commissioner Aziz of Lalbagh area gunned down seven supporters of the winning candidate Humayun Kabir in Dhaka City Corporation polls soon after results of the election was declared.