Two suspected criminals sustained gunshot wounds during a high-stakes midnight police operation in the capital’s Adabor area after an armed gang launched a violent attack on law enforcement officers.

The raid unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday in the Khalpar area behind the Nobodoy Housing kitchen market, following specific intelligence regarding the whereabouts of key suspects wanted in connection with an attempted property seizure, vandalism, and extortion case. Upon arriving at the scene around 2:30 am, an operational team from Adabor Police Station cornered a group of seven to eight individuals.

Rather than surrendering, several suspects brandished heavy steel machetes and samurai swords, charging directly at the officers. Faced with imminent danger, the police fired two rounds from a shotgun in self-defence, neutralizing the immediate threat and wounding two of the assailants in the leg.

Officers subsequently apprehended four suspects at the scene, identified as Rajib Howlader, 30; Sagar, alias Chhotto Bigar, 24; Shakib, 23; and Rashed, 24. The injured pair, Rajib and Sagar, were immediately transferred under police guard to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for medical treatment. The remaining members of the gang managed to flee into the darkness, prompting an ongoing manhunt across the neighbourhood.

A subsequent search of the site yielded several sharp weapons, including heavy steel cleavers and Japanese-style samurai swords, which were seized as formal evidence.

Speaking on the operation, Jewel Rana, Additional Deputy Commissioner for the DMP Tejgaon Division, confirmed that the law enforcement team acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence when confronted with lethal weapons. He added that legal proceedings regarding the assault on police officers and weapon possession are currently underway.

All four detainees carry extensive criminal records across various police stations in the capital. Intelligence records reveal that Sagar faces at least eight active cases split between Adabor and Mohammadpur stations. Rajib Howlader stands as the primary named accused in the widely publicized Babu murder case registered in Mohammadpur. Meanwhile, Shakib and Rashed each face five criminal charges involving violence and extortion.

Following the midnight raid, authorities confirmed that law and order in the Nobodoy Housing area have been fully restored, with heightened patrols deployed to reassure local residents.