KALADAN NEWS

Date: April 27, 2005

Two Killed and 50 Injured in Arakan

Maungdaw, April 27: At least 2 people were killed and 50 others were injured in a clash between robbers and villagers in northern Arakan, said a villager from Rathedaung Township of Arakan State, Burma.

On April 7, 2005, fifteen robbers from Bangladesh led by a notorious dacoit named Nagu went to Chang Roa (Firindaung) village in Rathedaung Township. These robbers left Bangladesh by a small boat to commit robbery. Their target was the wealth of Zahir Uddin, a wealthy man of Chan Roa village. So, they went to his home directly and started to commit robbery, by breaking door with axes, iron rods and other equipments. Finally, the robbers tied with nylon rope all the family members of the house, he further said.

During the time of robbery, the owner of the house called upon his neighbors for help and to save him and his wealth from the hand of robbers. So, neighboring people rushed to the spot and a clash was occurred between two groups, the robbers and villagers, while two left dead and 50 others injured including 9 robbers. The deceased were identified as Mohammed Siddik, 41 hailed from Chan Roa of the township and the other one was Nagu, leader of robber gang, who was beaten to death on the midnight of April 8, 2005, said a relative of Siddik.

Victim, Mohammed Siddik was among those who stood against robbers to safe his neighbor Zahir Uddin and the wealth of Zahir’s family from the hand of robbers but he was shot dead by the bullets of robbers, he further added.

The 15 members of robber gang carried various kinds of firearms, sharp knives and various kinds of equipments to break house and building and to rasist from the attack of villagers.

Although head of the robber gang was killed in clash, 13 of them could able to come back to Bangladesh and the other one was got arrest in the hand of Burmese authorities in Maungdaw on April 9, 2005 who is identified as Nur Mohammed, 38, of Teknaf.

The robbers who came back to Bangladesh are Zakaria, 40, Doilla, 45, Mohammed Hasan, 37, Lalu, 30, Abdul Amin, 30, Matiur Rahman, 35, Nezam Uddin, 38, Kalu, 32, Haroon, 23, Hanif, 36 and Mohammed Siddik, 35. It is also reported that the camp police provide arms to these robbers and divide the money on percentage basis between two group of robbers and police, said Kalam, a villager of Nayapara, who has close relation with the family of Nagu dacoit.

The gang of robber was headed by Nagu who hailed from Nayapara village of Teknaf, under Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. They used to hide in the western hill of the village as all of them are enlisted criminals in the Teknaf Police Station. # #

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