Bagerhat: A suspected forest robber leader was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Zone in Mongla upazila on Wednesday morning.

The deceased is Shipon, suspected kingpin of a forest robber gang Shipon Bahini.

Lieutenant Colonel Faridul Alam, commanding officer of Barisal RAB 8, said members of ‘Shipon Bahini’ were staying in the area, a team of the elite force carried out a drive there.

Sensing the presence of the RAB personnel, members of the gang opened fire on them, forcing the elite force to retaliate that triggered a gunfight at about 6:40am, he said.

As the two sides exchanged shots for forty minutes, the members of the robber gang finally gave up and managed to flee the scene.

Later, the body of Shipon was recovered from the spot.

The elite force also recovered 18 foreign-made pistols, huge country-made firearms and 350 bullets from the spot.

Process was underway to handover the body of the suspected robber and the firearms to Mongla Police Station, he added.