The Shibir kingpin named Chhoto Saiful and his elder sister Monwara Begum were killed and his elder brother Alamgir was seriously injured by bullets in the savage night attack at Baluchhara near Chittagong Cantonment under Bayezid Bostami Police Station.

Police and other sources believe a gang of rivals led by top-notch Shibir terror Gittu Nasir, convicted and sentenced to death in the sensational murder case of principal Gopal Krishna Muhuri, made the attack following a feud with Saiful.

Saiful's wife Ayesha Akhtar Shilpi also specifically named Nasir and four others as members of the killer group in a murder case filed yesterday. The four others are Baitya Yusuf, Jamai Kashem, Fayez Munna and Bishwanath. Five to six more unknown persons were also implicated in the case.

In instant raids conducted yesterday morning, Bayezid police arrested Baitya Yusuf and two suspects named Harun and Shafiqul Islam in this connection.

Sources said eight armed men stormed into Saiful's house at around 11.15pm Tuesday. Except Nasir and Munna, the six other gunmen were wearing masks.

Nasir and Munna knocked at the door. As Monwara, in the forth month of her pregnancy, opened the door, the gang sprayed her with bullets, killing her on the spot.

Alamgir who rushed to save his sister was the next victim. He was critically wounded by four bullets.

Sensing the danger, Saiful tried to flee through a rear door, but could not. The gunmen chased after him and fired away indiscriminately, leaving him dead in a pool of blood. The attackers then quickly left the scene.

The bodies of Saiful and Monwara were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) emergency ward yesterday morning, and later sent to morgue for autopsy.

Alamgir underwent an operation at the CMCH yesterday morning on his wounded kidney and abdomen. Hospital sources said, "He is in a deep coma."

Saiful's wife Shilpi, who was fainting time and again at the hospital, accused Nasir and Kashem of the murder. "I have seen Gittu Nasir firing at my husband," she said, screaming.

Sources said, Nasir and Saiful were close friends even a year ago and together took part in many a killing including that of principal Muhuri on November 16, 2001 and eight Chhatra League leaders at Bahaddarhat on July 12, 2000.

The Speedy Trial Tribunal of Chittagong on February 6, 2003 sentenced four Shibir terrors including Nasir to death and four others including Saiful and his mentor Habib Khan to life imprisonment in Muhuri murder case.

Sources said the relation between Nasir and Saiful has been strained for the last one year, as Saiful grew more and more 'rebellious' and Nasir found his behaviour becoming 'suspicious'. There were other reasons as well.

They said Nasir suspected that Saiful had a hand in the recent arrest of his brother Manoor Alam in the murder case of Korean Export Promotion Zone executive commodore Golam Rabbani.

Sources said Saiful also had enmity with Kashem over the possession of a plot of land in Baluchhara. Four months ago, Saiful bought the land, which was under the possession of Kashem, a close friend of Nasir. When Saiful claimed the land recently, Kashem simply refused to let it go and threatened him with dire consequences, they said, adding he might have hired Nasir to kill Saiful.