Villagers beat 2 suspected robbers to death, 6 more injured in Shariatpur
At least eight locals have also been injured as the suspected robbers opened fire and hurled handmade bombs during a failed escape attempt
A severe beating by a group of angry locals left two suspected robbers dead and six more injured in Shariatpur last night (28 February).
The suspected gang of robbers on a speedboat were chased by locals along the banks of the Kirtinasha River in the Tetulia area of Shariatpur's Donsar union. During the chase, the gang opened fire and hurled handmade bombs at the locals, leaving eight of them injured.
The gang members later took shelter in a brick kiln after abandoning their speedboat, where the locals surrounded and beat them.
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Police said they recovered the two bodies at around 1am today (1 March) and took them to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital. The unidentified bodies have been kept in the hospital morgue.
Members of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Faridpur region collected samples to confirm the identities of the deceased gang members.
"Fingerprints of the deceased were taken. But no match was found. Additionally, hair and viscera samples have been collected and sent to Dhaka for further analysis. Efforts to confirm their identities are ongoing," said Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam, a member of the DB team.
Meanwhile, the injured suspected robbers have been identified as Ripon and Rakib from Munshiganj, Sajib from Madaripur and Anowara from Shariatpur.
Some of the locals shot by the suspected robbers are Masum Mia, Al Alim and Totamia. Masum is a bulkhead worker.
The district's Superintendent of Police, Nazrul Islam, said the deceased were members of a robber gang.
"Each of them has several robbery cases against them. Locals chased the gang members during an attempted robbery in the Rajarchar area of Kalkini Upazila in Madaripur last night," he said.
"While fleeing, the robbers fired indiscriminately to protect themselves. Efforts are underway to identify the two deceased," he added.
Quoting police, Prothom Alo reported that five injured members of the gang are currently receiving treatment at Shatiatpur Sadar Hospital, and two of the locals with gunshot wounds have been sent to Dhaka for further treatment.
According to Palang Model Police Station and local sources, a group of 10 to 12 people attacked a sand-carrying bulkhead on the Kirtinasha River in Kalkini's Rajarchar area at around 9:30pm last night.
Workers on the vessel and locals chased the gang members, who fired shots and hurled bombs before fleeing in a speedboat down the river.
When the news spread, locals from the Dadpur area in Shariatpur to Tetulia in Domsar descended onto both sides of the Kirtinasha River and into the river on boats to chase the suspects.
During the pursuit, members of the gang fired shots and threw bombs at the locals as well at the time.
At one point, the group abandoned their speedboat in the Tetulia area of Domsar and were forced to take shelter in a brick kiln. Locals surrounded the brick kiln, caught seven of them, and started beating them.
Later, police and army personnel intervened, dispersing the crowd and rescuing the injured robbers. Around 1am, they were taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared two of them dead.
Police seized a speedboat and a firearm used in the robbery attempt.
Dr Muntasir Khan of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital said four people injured by the robbers' gunfire were brought to the hospital around 10:30pm. Two of them were in critical condition and were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for advanced treatment, while the other two are being treated locally.
After midnight, seven more individuals were brought in three phases, two of whom were already dead, he added.
