‘Drug peddler’ dead in Teknaf ‘gunfight’

A woman, said to be a Myanmar national, was killed and four people injured in a reported gunfight between members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and a group of ‘drug peddlers’ at Badarmokam in Teknaf upazila early Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Zaheda Begum, 25, a resident of Maungdaw in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Ashrafuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station (investigation), said a BGB patrol team challenged a boat near Shah Parir Dwip around 5:30am while it was heading towards Myanmar through Naf River with some suspected drug peddlers.

Sensing the BGB’s presence, the ‘drug peddlers’ opened fire on the Bangladesh border guards, prompting them to retaliate, which triggered a gunfight.

At one stage, Zaheda died on the spot while three other people, including the boatman, suffered bullet wounds, he said.

The injured— Myanmar citizens Rahida Begum, 25, Nazma Begum, 49, Abul Kashem, 50, and boatman Shafiq Ahmed, 28, of Shah Parir Dwip — were taken to Teknaf Upazila Helath Complex around 9:30am.

An investigation into the incident has been launched, the OC said.

With UNB inputs