A newly set-up police camp located on the bank of Meghna river under Gajaria upazila in Munshiganj district came under attack by a gang of armed robbers that triggered a fierce gun battle with police on Monday afternoon.
The incident took place around 5:00pm, just three days after the police outpost was established at Jamalpur village in Guagachhia union to rein in robbery and illegal sand extraction in the area.
Gajaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Anwar Alam Azad said 50-60 robbers, armed with firearms and crude bombs, went to the police camp on 5-6 trawlers.
"They fired more than a hundred rounds bullets and exploded several crude bombs. In retaliation, police fired 24 rounds of bullets. Later, the robbers took off towards Chandpur on the trawlers," the OC said, adding that no police personnel were injured in the attack.
It could not be confirmed until 10:30pm whether the suspected robbers suffered any casualties.
Locals said the assailants were members of the notorious Nayan-Piyas gang, who have long been active in extortion, robbery, and illegal sand lifting.
Witnesses said five to six trawlers circled the outpost before the attackers lobbed crude bombs and opened fire at the camp.
Police officials suspected that the attack was carried out in response to the establishment of the camp set up in the area that disrupted the robbers' activities.
"Guagachhia had turned into a safe haven for criminals. They would extort traders and extract sand illegally, earning Tk 50-60 lakh daily. With the camp now in place, their operations have stopped, and that is why they carried out the attack," OC Anwar added.
He also said preparations were underway to file a case with Gajaria Police Station over the incident.
Guagachhia, a remote riverine area, has seen bloody turf wars among rival gangs in recent months.
Authorities set up the temporary police camp in Jamalpur village on August 22 in a bid to contain such criminal activities.
The OC said police suspect that the firearms used in the attack might have been among the weapons looted from the police stations in Munshiganj last year.
"It is unlikely for the gang to possess so many arms on their own. In recent drives in different parts of Gajaria, law enforcers recovered large caches of bullets which were later confirmed to have been looted police ammunition. During one such raid, even holsters of looted weapons were found," the OC added.
