Army member killed in gunfight with human trafficking gang in Teknaf

A member of the Bangladesh Army was killed in a gunfight with a human trafficking gang during a joint forces operation in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday.

Soldier Md Titas Sheikh, 27, succumbed to his gunshot injury at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Ramu on Thursday night.

Joint forces rescued 57 victims of human trafficking and detained five people along with firearms in the operation.

The gunfight took place in a remote hilly area of Rongikhali in Hnila union of Teknaf in the afternoon. 

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate said intelligence sources reported that around 120 Rohingyas and Bangladeshi citizens were being held hostage by an armed human trafficking gang comprising 15-16 members at Rongikhali.

Acting on the information, a joint operational team comprising members of the Bangladesh Army's 10 Infantry Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police reached the spot around 5pm. 

Sensing the presence of the joint forces, the armed traffickers opened fire, triggering a gunfight between the two sides.

During the exchange of fire, Bangladesh Army soldier Titas Sheikh was shot in the left shoulder and critically injured. 

He was immediately rescued and given initial treatment at a nearby hospital before being shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Ramu for better treatment, where the attending doctor declared him dead, the ISPR said.

Titas, son of Afzal Hossain of Laskardia village in Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur, was serving at the Rongikhali Army Camp in Teknaf. 

During the operation, a pistol, a locally made gun and four rounds of ammunition were seized from the spot. 

Five members of the human trafficking gang were also detained, while 57 people who had been held hostage were rescued.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Army said it remembered the young soldier's supreme sacrifice in the line of duty with profound respect. 

It also prayed for the salvation of his departed soul and expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family.