1 killed as Rab, robbers 'trade bullets' in bus

An alleged robber was killed and four others were injured when Rapid Action Battalion members and a robber gang "traded bullets" in a bus in the district's Bheramara upazila Sunday night. 

Rab detained the four wounded and recovered firearms and bullets from their possession.

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The dead is Abdul Salam, 32, of Boribari area of Pabna's Atikula.

Mosaddek Ibne Mujib, company commander of Rab-12, said they had information that some robbers in the guise of passengers boarded a Dhaka-bound AC bus from Bheramara.

A Rab team, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jahangir Alam, raided the vehicle just before it started leaving the bus stop around 11:30pm.

When the Rab team was searching for the criminals in the bus, the robbers suddenly opened fire. Rab members then returned fire, triggering a "gunfight", the ASP said.

During the gun battle, Salam was shot dead and four other robbers suffered bullet injuries, he said.

The four are Ainul Huq, 28, Khokon Ali, 40, of Pabna's Ishwardi, and Delwar Hossain, 28, and Alamgir Hossain, 24, of Pabna's Bera.

They were undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital under Rab custody.

The elite force also claimed to have recovered a revolver, a pistol, eight bullets and two sharp weapons from the bus.

According to the bus counter at Bheramara, there were 21 passengers in the bus during the incident.

Robiul Alam, driver of the bus, said the Rab team raided the bus and asked the driver and helper to get down from the bus.

"We don't know what happened afterwards," he said.

This correspondent tried to get the versions of the passengers about the incident, but failed as he could not reach any passengers.

Talking to The Daily Star, one of the injured, Delwar, claimed that he went to Bheramara from Pabna Sunday afternoon after getting a phone call from an "acquaintance". But he kept mum when he was asked who the person was.

Rab officials said they kept vigil on the night coaches after a robbery was committed in an AC bus plying the same route last month.

“Rab will interrogate them [the arrestees] to get information, Rab official Mosaddek said.