FROM PAGE 12

mobile financial service agent.

The attackers fled after hacking Shafiqul and taking his mobile phone and cash.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by OC Jahidul launched a drive in the Beribadh area to arrest the suspects.

Sensing the police presence, members of the alleged “Kabjikata Anwar Group” attacked law enforcers with sharp weapons, injuring the OC and the SI, according to locals and police sources.

Police then opened fire, injuring two suspects. Two other suspects were injured during a scuffle with police. The others fled the scene.

Those shot were taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. Victim Shafiqul was earlier taken to the same hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Speaking to reporters, his relative Md Muslim said Shafiqul took Tk 3 lakh from home to his shop. “Just after opening the shop, four to five men armed with machetes entered. Before he could understand anything, they hacked his right hand and took the cash and the mobile phone used for transactions.”

“Kabjikata Anwar Group” is a Mohammadpur-based juvenile gang, previously led by a man named Anwar. Its activities reportedly declined after his arrest during the tenure of the interim government.

Following the election in February, Anwar’s associate Sayeed took over the gang, after which it became active again, police sources said.

Before yesterday’s attack, members of the same group allegedly carried out a mugging on Road-17 in Adabor on Monday night.

Contacted, Adabor Police Station Inspector (Operations) Apurba Das said the gang members were involved in criminal activities almost every night. “They are behind various incidents of mugging, extortion, and violence in the area. We are conducting continuous drives against them,” he said.