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MANIK SAHA MURDER

Key suspect killed in gunfight with cops

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Khulna
Altaf Hossain alias BDR Altaf alias Siddique, 35, second-in-command of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddha) and Rashed Goldar, 29, an armed cadre of the outfit, were killed in a gunfight with police at a shrimp enclosure at Malot village under Paikgacha upazila of Khulna district in the early hours yesterday.
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Four policemen were also injured in the shootout that lasted for half an hour. They are Additional Police Superintendent Mozammel Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Paikgacha Police Station Ashraful Alam, constables Taher and Mujibar. They are now undergoing treatment at Khulna Police Hospital.
According to a high official of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), BDR Altaf was directly involved in the killings of journalist Manik Saha and BNP leader and Charman of Amirpur Union Parishad under Batiaghata upazila Amir Azam Khan.
Manik Saha and Amir Azam Khan were bombed to death in Khulna city on January 15 and January 29 this year.
Meanwhile, the trial of Manik Saha murder case will begin in the Speedy Trial Tribunal, Khulna, on September 8.
Being tipped-off, two platoons of Armed Police Battalion cordoned off the shrimp enclosure belonging to Mostafa Jahangir at about 2:30am where BDR Altaf and some other operatives of the PBCP were planning for an operation.
Sensing presence of the police, the outlaws opened fire and hurled bombs at the policemen. Police returned fire, leaving BDR Altaf and Rashed Goldar dead, while others managed to escape.
Police recovered a German-made revolver, 14 bullets, a sawn-off gun, 12 powerful bombs and 13 cartridges from the spot.
Bodies of the two outlaws were sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital for
autopsy.
Briefing local journalists yesterday noon, Police Superintendent of Khulna Habibur Rahman said BDR Altaf was wanted in 24 criminal cases, including nine murder cases, recorded with police stations in Khulna and Satkhira districts.
He said Altaf was also an FIR-named accused in Dainik Janmabhumi editor Humayun Kabir Balu murder case.
The PBCP cadres led by Altaf looted 20 rifles and ammunition from the arsenal of Daulatpur Jute Mills at Khalishpur on April 19, 2003, he said
Rashid Golder was also wanted in nine murder cases recorded with different police stations in Khulna and Satkhira districts.
Hundreds of people of Paikgacha upazila heaved a sigh of relief at the death of the two notorious extremists. They took out a procession at the upazila headquarters in the afternoon.
All police stations in southwestern region, including Khulna Metropolitan City have been put on red alert.
According to police, Altaf Hossain alias Siddique, son of Akbar Ali Muhuri of Bhatgati village under Bhatiaghata upazila joined Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in January 2000, quitting Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) that he served as a sepoy.
He played a key role in snatching PBCP ringleader Abdur Rashid alias Tapan from police custody from Khulna Judge's Court premises on January 26, 2002, they said.