Villagers beat two individuals to death for allegedly firing on people during attempted robberies at a village in Satkania upazila of Chattogram on Tuesday night.
Five villagers sustained bullet injuries during the raid by a group of robbers during 9pm-10pm at Chankhola area.
Saiful Islam Santu, police superintendent in Chattogram district, confirmed the matter to reporters early Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Nezam Uddin and Abu Salek. Foreign firearms were found in their possessions, police and locals claimed. Police suspect the weapons were stolen from a police station during the attack on law enforcers’ offices following the downfall of Awami League government last year.
According to police and locals, a group of criminals stormed the area on four CNG-run auto rickshaws. They fired indiscriminately to clear their way. Sensing trouble, an area-wide alert was sounded from a nearby mosque. Villagers gathered at the area to resist the robbers. As the robbers fired, five sustained injuries. Later, the villagers beat two alleged robbers to death.
According to another account, however, the deceased were killed as a result of infighting between two factions of a powerful political outfit that emerged after Awami League’s fall last year. To beat back opponents with support from locals, one group sounded a false alarm from the mosque.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
