Savar: The members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been cordoned off a house at Ashulia in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, suspecting it a militant hideout since the early hours of Sunday.

Local people said, sounds of sporadic gunshots were heard from the suspected hideout.  The occupants of the house strongly averting the RAB members from conducting drive in the house.

RAB media wing Director Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan told journalists RAB members cordon off the house in the Nayarhat Chourabali area of Ashulia at about 1:00am. Sensing the presence of RAB, the residents opened fire to them from the house. RAB tightened up their position as the suspected militants also hurled bomb to the RAB members.

Mufti Mahmud said the house-owner, Ibrahim, was detained in this connection.

Quoting the house-owner Mufti Mahmud said a man, named Azad, who claimed himself as a Ready-made garment (RMG) factory worker rented the house two months ago.

A 30-year-old local man told NTV Online, ‘We passed the house almost every day. A man rented the house around two months earlier. We saw him making cotton bags. After some days, we found the house locked. Today morning, we saw RAB members gathering around the house. Later, we came to know that some militants are living in the house.’

RAB members, using a hand loudspeaker, asked the militants to submit their arms and surrender before them, said Mufti Mahmud Khan.

However, the residents did not surrender before the law enforcers. They opened fire to RAB and hurled bombs to them, said the RAB officials.

Mufti Mahmud said primarily we are predicting that there are several militants inside the house. We are trying our best to make them surrender before the law enforcers.

However, he said, bomb disposal unit and other law enforcers will join the drive soon. The ultimate operation will be started after the teams join. Already, a police team has joined the RAB members.

He said the house-owner, Ibrahim, was detained in this connection.

RAB-4 Commanding Officer Additional DIG (Deputy Inspector General) Khandaker Lutful Kabir said the house is a one-storey building. A good number of RAB members were deployed around the area. For security measures, the residents were being shifted to safe place before starting the raid.

The suspected militants opened fire from the house at about 3:00am. Later, they fired gunshots to the RAB members in the morning. At the same time, the residents also exploded bombs in the hideout. The RAB director said sounds of gunshots are heard from the den.