JMB convict Rakib killed in \\\'gunfight\\\'

TANGAIL, Feb 24 (UNB): A condemned convict of banned Islamist militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was killed in a 'gunfight' with police in Beltoil area of Mirzapur Upazila early Monday.
The deceased was identified as Rakib Hasan alias Hafez Mahmud (35), a top leader of JMB.
Earlier, on Sunday, militants snatched three convicted members of JMB -- Rakib, Salahuddin and Boma Mizan -- in Trishal Upazila killing a police constable while they were being taken in a prison van from Kasimpur jail in Gazipur to Mymensingh court.
Meanwhile, the bounty for information leading to the arrest of each of the two convicted members of the banned militant outfit JMB to Tk 0.5 million (5 lakh) from Tk 0.2 million.
Senior Information Officer of the Police Headquarters AKM Kamrul Ahsan confirmed UNB about the bounty hike.
Another report adds a court in Tangail Monday placed two of the snatchers of the three convicted members of the JMB on a 20-day remand in two cases.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Sonia Akhter passed the order when Sakhipur police produced them before her court seeking remand for 20 days in the cases.

It's an attempt to hush up entire incident: BNP
Another report adds: Terming the snatching of three militants from a prison van as government's massive failure, BNP alleged Monday that the killing of one of the militants in 'crossfire' was an attempt to hush up the entire incident.
"Convicted militant Rakib Hasan has been killed through a drama of crossfire to hide the real incident. Question has arisen in public mind for what reason he was killed in crossfire without collecting information from him about the incident," said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.