Shibirmen-cop clash in Satkhira: One killed, 12 injured

A local leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir was shot dead and 12 people, including five policemen, were injured during clashes in Satkhira town on Sunday afternoon.Among the injured seven were bullet-hit.The deceased was identified as Aminul Islam, general secretary of the town unit of Shibir, student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.Aminul Islam died on the spot while other activists were admitted to Satkhira General Hospital.Being tipped off that a group of Shibir men was holding a clandestine meeting at one Mukul Hossain’s house near Nagasar area, a police team raided the house at about 4:30 pm, said Enamul Hawlader, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station.Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the Shibirmen opened fire and hurled cocktails at the law enforcers, prompting the police personnel to fire back that triggered a gunfight, police said.Around 70 gunshots were exchanged during the gun battle when Aminul was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot, the OC added.He said, 12 people, including five policemen, were also injured during the incident. The injured policemen were rushed to Sadar Hospital.Shibir activists however, claimed that police entered the house and shot them after covering their eyes with black ribbon.”I have been living in the house with four other students for a long time. In the afternoon, police entered our house and covered our eyes with black ribbons. They asked us to line up and then they fired shots,” Nur Mohammad, 18, a madrasa student who was among the injured told The New Nation.The OC claimed that they recovered two firearms from the house during the raid.