Own Reporter
In Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, two armed groups, Konapara and Uluchamari, clashed over dominance in the hilly area of Rangikhali. Locals said that the sound of intermittent gunfire spread panic throughout the night.
The incident took place at around 11 pm on Wednesday (October 15) in the Hnila, Rangikhali, Konapara and Uluchamari areas of Teknaf for 3 hours.
According to local sources, for a long time, there had been a dispute between several gunmen, robbers, drug dealers, kidnappers and other miscreants there over dominance in the hilly areas of Rangikhali, Konapara and Uluchamari of Teknaf upazila. Earlier, there was a shootout between the two sides over these disputes.
This incident spread panic among the villagers. The shooting incident took place between a group led by Lash Jalal, son of the deceased Kala Mia, a resident of Uluchamari, and a group led by Anwar Hossain (Laraiya dacoit) son of Haji Ruhul Amin of the same village and one of his members, Abul Kalam's son Mizan (dacoit) and Tengku Mizan, son of Haji Ruhul Amin, Dalal (dacoit).
The shooting was estimated to have taken place. It could not be confirmed whether anyone was injured in the incident. Law enforcement sources have informed that Lash Jalal, Anwar and Mizan have multiple cases against these gunmen, including drugs, kidnapping, and robbery.
Rahmat Ullah, a resident of Uluchamari, said that when he fell asleep after eating on Wednesday night, he was suddenly woken up by the sound of gunfire at around 11 pm. I thought that there was shooting on the Myanmar border. Later, I found out that shooting was going on between two gunmen in the area. An estimated 3-4 hundred rounds of gunfire were fired between the two throughout the night. People are in a state of panic.
Rahima Khatun, a resident of Uluchamari, said that she could not sleep due to the loud sound of gunfire throughout the night on Wednesday. The boys and girls are shaking with fear. We are in panic over such terrorist acts.
Abul Kalam, a resident of Uluchamari, said that due to the proximity of the hills, Rangikhali and Uluchamari villages have become safe havens for criminals. Hill robbers, kidnappers and drug dealers easily escape and hide in the hills after committing crimes.
Rakibul Hasan, Additional Superintendent of Police of Ukhia Teknaf Circle, said, "We have come to know about the shooting incident. The police are working to identify and arrest those involved in the incident."
