DHAKA, 9 September 2006 — A regional leader of the outlawed Maoist outfit Purba Banglar Communist Party was killed in a shootout between his accomplices and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Borobagh village in Bagerhat district early yesterday.
Mustafiz alias Jewel Shikder, 30, was a prime accused in the Awami League leader Kalidas Boral’s murder.
On a tip-off, a RAB team arrested Mustafiz from the Khulna court premises on Thursday afternoon. Members of the security forces were taking Mustafiz to a hide-out where arms and ammunition had been stashed. As they reached near the hide-out, Mustafiz’s accomplices opened fire and hurled bombs on the RAB personnel in a bid to free their leader prompting the law enforcers to return fire.
Mustafiz was caught in the “cross-fire” while trying to flee and was critically injured, said a RAB official. Later, he died in hospital. Mustafiz was wanted for three murders.
