1 killed in Chuadanga \\\'shootout\\\'

An ultra party leader was killed in a ‘shootout’ with the law enforcers at Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga district on Wednesday morning. The deceased was identified as Mekur Kashem, 35, allegedly a leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), an outlawed outfit, and son of Juran Ali of Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur district. Acting on secret information that some members and leaders of an extremist party were holding secret meeting at a mango garden at Charulia in the upazila early Wednesday, a team of police raided the mango garden at around 3:00am. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the gangsters threw three hand made bombs at them. Police also retaliated by firing several shot in ‘self defence’ ensuing a ‘shootout’. Mekur was caught in the line of fire and sustained bullets dying on the spot. Following the gun-fires, police recovered the body and sent it to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital for autopsy. Two police personnel Niaz Ali and Khairul Islam were critically injured after being hit by the splinters of the bombs. They were rushed to Chitla Health Complex in Damurhuda town, according to a news agency.