‘Miscreants’ lay siege to airbase in Bangladesh; one killed, several hurt

Dhaka: One man was shot dead and several injured when security personnel repulsed an attack Monday on a Bangladesh Air Force base in the southeastern beach town of Cox’s Bazar, officials said.

The Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) directorate of the defence ministry said miscreants launched a sudden attack on the Air Force Base near Cox’s Bazar’s Samiti Para around noon. “Bangladesh Air Force is taking necessary actions in this regard,” an ISPR stated.

Deputy Commissioner of the beach district, Mohammad Salahuddin, said: “Shihab Kabir, 30, a local trader, was shot dead during the clash and several others were injured.”

The official said a thorough investigation would be conducted into the cause of the attack. Reports, however, said the incident occurred due to an airport expansion project requiring the relocation of people in the neighbourhood, a proposal opposed by some people. The attack occurred hours after Home Affairs Adviser, retired Lieutenant General M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, in a pre-dawn press conference reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining law and order. He told the media at his residence in Dhaka at around 3 am on Monday that “cohorts” of the ousted Awami League regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina were out to destabilise the country, but “in no way they

will be spared”.