Thirteen-year-old Mahmudur Rahman Rifat, a student of class seven at BAF Shaheen School and College, was returning home by a rickshaw after buying some fast food and sweetmeats from a local market at around 8:00pm, when he met his end along with the rickshaw-puller.

"As the rickshaw reached near Badda Jame Mosque, the criminals shot Rifat point blank thrice in the abdomen," Rifat's maternal uncle Sharif Hossain said. They also murdered the rickshaw-walah probably because he was a witness, Sharif surmised.

Police however could not confirm whether the killing was pre-planned or not.

The rickshaw-puller, whose identity could not be known until filing of this report at 11:30pm, died on the spot, while Rifat was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he passed away soon after admission.

In Shyampur, Buriganga Bridge toll collector Shah Alam and two others beat rickshaw-puller Ismail Hossain, 22, severely following a dispute over maintaining the queue of rickshaws at around 2:30pm.

As Ismail, who lived at Karimullah Bagh in Shyampur, fell sick in the evening, his relatives headed for the DMCH carrying him. But he died on way to the hospital.

Police arrested Shah Alam on charge of murder.

Unidentified assailants gunned down Mohammad Harun, 30, at around 2:30pm in East Kafrul.

In the last incident, five hooligans demanded toll from Jalal Uddin, 50, owner of a departmental store in West Kazipara, and shot him in the chest as he refused to pay.