A suspected drug dealer died and his associate was critically injured in a motorcycle crash on Wednesday (June 17) afternoon while fleeing a police checkpost in Banshkhali upazila. Police recovered 20,000 Yaba pills dumped by the suspects prior to the chase.
The deceased was identified as Md. Shahid, 32, of the Dumuriaghona area in Eidgaon, Cox's Bazar. The injured associate, Arif Abdullah, hails from Kalu Fakir Para in Cox's Bazar Sadar. According to law enforcement, both men had multiple prior criminal cases, including drug charges in Lohagara and abuse cases in various other stations.
The incident began when on-duty police officers signaled the pair to stop their motorcycle at a checkpost near the Katni Chhara Bridge in Sheikherkhil Union. Instead of complying, the suspects dropped an orange bag and sped away. Officers searched the abandoned bag and found 20,000 Yaba pills before initiating a pursuit.
The suspects briefly disappeared from the officers' sight. Approximately 11 kilometers away, on the Shilkup-Gandamara road in the Mohallapara area, their speeding motorcycle hit a speed breaker, causing a severe crash.
Police and local residents rescued the critically injured men, taking them first to the Banshkhali Health Complex. They were subsequently transferred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), but Shahid succumbed to his injuries en route.
An eyewitness to the crash stated, "At around 2:00 pm, the motorcycle hit a speed breaker at breakneck speed. Both riders were thrown and severely injured. We only learned later that they were fleeing the police."
Banshkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rabiul Haque confirmed the sequence of events. "The two men ignored the checkpost signal, abandoned a bag full of Yaba, and fled. They crashed about 10 kilometers away on a rural road due to reckless speeding. We have seized the contraband, and legal action is currently underway."
