Mahbub Alam Mehdi, secretary of the ruling BNP's student wing and commissioner of ward No. 14 of BCC, his four associates and another local youth came under bomb, gun and machete attack a few yards off Mehdi's house.

Police arrested Sohel and Sujon, two activists of main opposition Awami League's (AL) student front Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and sons of a Barisal district AL leader yesterday morning. Local people took out a procession in protest at the attack.

The victims and police sources said Mehdi and four other Jubo Dal adherents were returning home from the local ward commissioner's office at the Bangla Bazar in the early hours. When they were some yards from his house, a gang of about 20 assailants ambushed them near the Arshad Ali Contractor lane. The attackers blasted bombs and fired gun shots on the victims.