The ISPR’s account of the Mohammadpur raid

The Inter-Services Public Relations, or ISPR, has given its account of a joint force operation in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area that led to the loss of two lives.

In a press release on Thursday, the ISPR said that a joint force team conducted an operation in Mohammadpur's Chand Udyan area around 12:30am based on information about “preparations for a robbery”. When the joint forces personnel surrounded both sides of a lane, the “criminals” opened fire from the roof of a one-story building, it said.

"The operation team immediately took countermeasures in self-defence and was able to arrest five criminals along with their weapons."

The press release said that afterwards a search was conducted in the house and the bodies of two people were recovered from the roof. A pistol, four rounds of bullets and a machete were recovered from the detainees. They have been handed over to Mohammadpur Police Station for legal action.

The release said that such operations will continue in the interest of protecting people’s lives and property.

Previously, Inspector (Investigations) Hafiz Uddin of Mohammadpur Police Station had said the joint forces conducted an operation on an attic in Road No. 5 of the Chand Udyan area after receiving a tip that 10-15 “criminals” were holed up there. The two sides then engaged in a “shootout” at the location.

The dead have been identified as Jumman and Miraz, two known criminals from the Chand Udyan area, police say.

Police arrested three suspects from the scene while “some others fled the scene”, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammadpur Zone Additional Deputy Commissioner Jewel Rana.

He told bdnews24.com, "After Kabjikata Anwar’s arrest, another criminal gang has been trying to expand its power in Mohammadpur. A joint team of police and army personnel raided Chand Udyan following a tip that criminals were staying there.”

"As the joint forces personnel reached the scene, suspected criminals pelted them with stones and brickbats and also opened fire. The law-enforcing team retaliated in self-defence and two people died on the spot.”