Four top leaders of different outlawed parties were killed yesterday in shooting incidents involving police, Rapid Action Battalion, and the outlawed operatives in Khulna, Kushtia and Rajshahi.

Didarul Islam Palash alias Shyamal, 28, Operational Commander of the Khulna Metropolitan city unit of Purbo Banglar Communist Party's (PBCP) Janajuddho faction was killed reportedly in shootout between police and his accomplices at about 4:30 am yesterday behind the truck terminal at Sonadanga of Khulna.

Earlier at around Sunday midnight, he was arrested along with three women PBCP cadres at flat of a three-storey building in Sonadanga Residential Area. One of the women is said to be the wife of Nazu, the prime suspect in Dainik Janmabhumi editor Humayun Kabir Balu murder case.

Deputy Commissioner (HQ) Akbar Ali of Khulna Metropolitan Police said the arrested women are members of a suicide squad formed to avenge the killings of top PBCP leaders in crossfire.

He said Monday's shootout broke out when a police team on an arms recovery drive following Didarul's confession came under attack from the PBCP cadres near the truck terminal. Didarul got shot when his accomplices tried to snatch him from police.
Police recovered one gun, 58 rifle bullets, 13 pistol bullets, and five gun cartridges from the scene. Besides, they recovered leaflets that called for the PBCP cadres detained in Khulna District Jail to break free from the prison at any cost, said police.

Didarul Islam Shyamal stands accused in several cases including five for murder.
Our Kushtia correspondent reports: Delwar Hossain Dulal alias Dayal, 38, regional leader of Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) and Sirajul Islam alias Ilu, 30, commander (arms) of outlawed Jashod Gono Bahini (JGB) died reportedly in a shootout with Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) and police in Kushtia early yesterday.

A Rab-6 team arrested Dayal at village Ratulpara in sadar upazila at about 5:00pm on Sunday, said Rab sources. Iswardi police arrested Sirajul Islam at Blackpara area of Iswardi municipality area the same day and handed him over to Kushtia police.

Both the arrestees were taken into the custody of a joint team of police and Rab in Kushtia town. During the interrogation, the two admitted to possessing firearms hidden at various locations throughout Kushtia.

Following the leads, Rab-6 men with a contingent of police left for village Bahadurpur in Bheramara upazila of Kushtia to recover the firearms at about 4:00am. When they reached Bakapul area, a band of outlawed operatives fired on them resulting in an hour-long gunfight.

The law enforcers said Dayal and Ilu while trying to escape from the police van got caught in crossfire and died on the spot.

The law enforcers retrieved two LG guns and 30 rounds of ammunition from the spot.

Police said Dayal stood accused in 14 cases including seven for murder and Ilu in 11 cases including six for murder cases.

Our Rajshahi correspondent adds: Lal Potaka, a top leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP M-L), was killed in 'crossfire' between police and his followers in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi in the early hours Monday.

Rajshahi DB police arrested the PBCP publicity secretary for international affairs Muhammad Shafi Sarkar on Sunday shortly after he was released on bail.
Ramna police arrested Shafi and Ali Tareq from Aziz Cooperative market in Dhaka on May 22 last year. He had been interrogated in the joint interrogation cell and admitted his involvement in a number of murders.

A police press release claimed Shafi, also known as Internet Shafi, was accused in a dozen of cases including four for murder.

Following information obtained from him under interrogation, a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Alamgir Kabir took him to Aroil village in Durgapur to retrieve arms.

On the way at Raghunathpur, Shafi's accomplices ambushed the police team at around 4:00am.Police returned fire that escalated into a shootout that left Shafi dead on the spot.

Police recovered a locally-made gun and three bullets from the scene.

Sources in Rajshahi Central Jail said three plainclothes policemen were seen handling papers of Shafi's bail before he was freed at around 1:00am on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion in Rajshahi exchanged gunfire with 'criminals' at Sujan Palsa village in Bagmara upazila here yesterday afternoon leaving one injured.

The injured, Abdus Samad, is a charge sheeted accused in Subhodanga Union Parishad chairman Golam Rabbani murder case, Rab said.