Kushtia: People in the country’s restive southwestern region breathed a sigh of relief as a sombre peace now prevails following the death of several dozen suspected top terrors.

 The deaths occurred in reported “crossfire” during gunfights between gunmen of outlawed leftist groups and the members of law-enforcing agencies in nine months to April this year.

An official count shows 67 suspected outlaws were slain during the period in such encounters with elite-force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police in different districts of the region under Khulna division.

The law-enforcers also rounded up some 66,000 suspected criminals and seized about 4,500 arms and 1,514 rounds of ammunition from the crime-infested southwest.

Successive governments have ordered crackdown on the underworld in the wake of frequent spurt in serious crimes like extortion, abduction, murder and so.      

The law-enforcing agencies claimed that the law-and-order situation in this division has improved as the prowess of extremist groups declined to a great extent.

“In fear of ‘crossfire’, the extremists fled the area,” said a police high official.

Political extremism and terrorist activities of common criminals had taken an upturn when the new government vowed its stand against the “extra-judicial killings”, which drew eloquent criticisms from different quarters at home and abroad.

The outlaws then killed about 350 people in seven and a half months in 10 districts under the division in 2009.

Law-enforcing agencies started a manhunt in the region in August 21, 2009 after Inspector-General of Police Nur Mohammad at a meeting here on August 20 declared a tough stand against the lawbreakers.

Khulna range DIG Sheikh Hemayet Hossain PPM said the criminals belonging to any party whatsoever would not be spared. “If seen showing neglect of duty, police members would be sent home.”  

Fearing the so-called ‘crossfire’ nemesis of the suspected criminals, top terrors and members of 13 banned extremist outfits have gone into hiding while many reportedly fled to neighbouring India.

According to available reports, JSD Ganobahini top leader Ajibor Chairman and Obaidul Islam Lal were killed in India following internal conflict while West Bengal police arrested and jailed Ganamukti Fouj top leaders Mukul and Shahin.
 
BST 1055 HRS, May 14, 2010
AHS/LY/MUA