Five alleged drug peddlers, including a Union Parishad member, were killed in "gunfights" in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar and Feni early yesterday.

In Dhaka's Diabari area, two men were killed in a "gunfight" with Rab members.

The dead -- Ibrahim Khalil, 50, and Omar Faruk, 38, of Gazipur -- were accused in at least 14 cases with different police stations, said Rab.

Kamruzzaman, assistant director of Rab-1, claimed that the two "drug peddlers" violated signal around 2:30am at a Rab checkpoint in the area that was set up on information that a group of carrying yaba consignment.

As a Rab team started following their motorbike, they opened fire, forcing them to retaliate. Later, the duo was rushed to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital with bullet injuries, he said.

Doctors at the hospital declared them dead, Kamruzzaman, also an assistant superintendent of police, added.

Rab claims to have recovered two pistols, nine bullets, 3,090 pieces of yaba pills and one motorcycle from the spot.

In Cox's Bazar, two men were killed in a "gunfight" with police in Ukhiya upazila.

The dead are Bakhtiar Ahmed, 55, a member of Rajapalong Union Parishad, and Md Taher, 27, of Kutupalng Rohingya camp's E-block, said police.

Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station, said they arrested the duo during a raid against drug traders in Hnila area on Thursday.

During quizzing, the arrestees admitted to hiding yaba pills in Wabrang bridge area.

Then police, along with the arrestees, conducted another raid to recover the drugs. Sensing police presence, their cohorts opened fire targeting them around 3:00am. The "gunfight" ensued as police retaliated, the OC claimed.

At one stage, the drug traders fled the scene leaving behind bullet-hit Bakhtiar and Taher. The duo were rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex and then to Cox's Bazar Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared them dead, said police.

Police claimed to have recovered five locally-made guns, 17 rounds of cartridges and 20,000 pieces of yaba pills from the spot, the OC added.

However, family members and neighbours of Bakhtiar Ahmed claimed that police picked up Bakhtiar on Wednesday from his home at Kutupalong. They have not heard any news from him since then.

Meanwhile in Feni, another alleged drug peddler was killed in a "gunfight" between two groups of criminals.

The dead is Nazrul Islam Nakul, 32, of Shuvopur union in Chhagalnaiya upazila.

According to police, they rushed to Taher member road in the upazila on information that two groups of criminals were engaged in a "gunfight".

The law enforcers found Nakul's body when they reached the area. He was then rushed to Feni Sadar Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, police said.

Police also claimed to have recovered two locally made machetes, 20 bottles of phensedyl, 200 pieces of yaba pills and a rifle from the spot.

Mezbah Uddin, office-in-charge of Chhagalnaiya Police Station, said there were nine drug related cases filed again Nakul.

The Daily Star, however, could not independently verify any of the claims.