In another incident in the early hours yesterday, muggers stabbed to death a truck driver at Gabtoli.

Three hitmen killed Didar, 44, also president of ruling coalition partner BJP's youth front Jatiya Jubo Sanghati, in a hail of bullets in front of his Mohammadpur apartment house.

"Three gunmen stopped my sir (Didar) and three of his staff in a microbus when they were just moving out of the apartment's gates at around 11:00am and shot him point blank at will," said security guard Mamun who witnessed the attack.

With the killers continuing firing, the driver raced the microbus to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital in Dhanmondi, where doctors declared the BJP leader dead.

"After the attack, the assailants, aged between 25 and 30, walked away towards the Deputy Commissioner of Traffic's (Dhaka North) Office through the footpath of the busy Awrangajeb Road," the security guard added.

Didar, also a contractor and general secretary of Bangladesh Roads and Highways Department Contractors' Association (BRHDCA), suffered six bullets in his head, shoulder, back and chest.

Didar's business partners Harun and Sohrab, site engineer Akhter Hossain and the microbus driver, who were accompanying him in the microbus to one of his construction sites at Narsingdi, escaped the shooting unhurt.

Police held the three co-passengers and the security guard for interrogation.

Didar was buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard after a namaj-e-janaja in Kalabagan playground.

BJP Chairman Naziur Rahman Manjur and General Secretary Quazi Feroz Rashid in a joint statement yesterday condemned the murder and demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers. The BJP leaders also conveyed their sympathy to the family members of their departed colleague.

In another statement, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad also condemned the killing and demanded immediate punishment of the killers. "The country's law and order situation has reached such a position that there is no guarantee of life for any one at all," he said in the statement.

SHADOWED BY TERRORS

Sources said, following continued threat from operatives of Joy, a 'dreaded criminal', Didar left his father's Bashiruddin Road house in Kalabagan for the Mohammadpur apartment house 'Pantha Need' four weeks ago.

The source also alleged Joy, now in India, ordered his associates to kill Didar, as he refused to share a huge Roads and Highways (R&H) construction work with Joy's people.

Following threat on his life, the sources said, Didar avoided going to the R&H office during the last few months. Fearing attack, he did not even give his new home address to his close friends, they added.

Relatives of the slain BJP leader, on the other hand, alleged a top listed criminal of the city, Kala Jahangir, had also been threatening Didar for the last few months for refusing to pay Tk 1 crore in tolls.

Rivalry over the leadership of BRHDCA might also be the reason of the killing, said a friend of Didar, seeking anonymity.

Officer-in-charge of Moha-mmadpur Police Station said rivalry over construction works might have led to Didar's killing.

No case was lodged until filing of this report at 9:00pm. But, Detective Branch of Police said they had already launched investigation into the incident last evening.

MURDER OF TRADER

At Mirpur-1, assailants ambushed Zakir Hossain Biplob, 30, in front of his shop 'Chowdhury Enterprise' at Ya Khajah Bhaban at 12:10pm.

As Zakir, a local leader of ruling BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and president of local Jagoran Samabay Samity, stepped out of his shop, one of a group of three gunmen shot him in the head, said a witness.

Zakir's younger brother Mus-tafizur Rahman Maruf and his friend Aminul Islam rushed out of the shop to his aid. But the gunmen frightened them away by shooting at them. As they retreated, the killers left the scene, leaving Zakir in a pool of blood.

Victim's elder brother Mesbahur Rahman rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at around 1:30pm, where doctors declared him dead.

Relatives said criminals had been threatening Zakir since he had formed anti-extortion Lathi-Banshi Committee three months ago.

"Extortionists also shot my younger brother Tuhin, a JCD leader, at Mirpur-10 five months ago," Mesbahur told The Daily Star, adding, "In 1993, gunmen murdered my brother Janu inside Mirpur Bangla College." Janu, also a JCD leader, was vice president of Bangla College.

Mirpur police blamed a local extortionist gang led by Ahsiq-Babu group for the killing.

TRUCK DRIVER KILLING

At Gabtoli, apparent muggers caught truck driver Abdul Jalil, 45, in front of a petrol pump when he was taking tea there in the early hours yesterday.

After stabbing Jalil all over the body, specially in the shoulder, the assailants reportedly frisked and took away Tk 6,000 from him and left the scene.

Locals rushed the victim to the DMCH at 4:30am, where he died at 10:30am.

Jalil, who hails from Char Sadaruddin of Shilaidah, Faridpur, came to Gabtoli driving a goods truck.