Earlier at around 11:30 pm, the gang intercepted a private bank's microbus on Dhaka-Mymensingh road at Raghamara in Trishal upazila. They beat up the bank employees and snatched a security guard's gun before making off with the money and the microbus. They fled in the direction of Talutia village under Bhaluka upazila, police said.

When Trishal police came to know about the robbery, they alerted the neighbouring police stations. Soon Bhaluka, Phulbaria and Gafargoan police moved along the approaches to Talutia village, where in a jungle the robbers were holed up.

Meanwhile, as the news spread, locals in Talutia at one stage caught six robbers. They had already battered three of the gang dead before police could reach the spot. Police, however, retrieved the looted money and the microbus from the scene. They also recovered the security guard's gun, along with a pistol, one round bullet and four crackers from the robbers.

Microbus and the money belong to the Chhoto Bazar branch of National Bank in Mymensingh, police said.

Police and bank sources said, Cash Officer Ruhul Amin, with two security guards and a driver, was going to the head office of National Bank at Dilkusha in Dhaka.

The dead, identified as Alamgir, 35,Majnu, 32,and Nazrul, 30, hailed from Mirpur of Dhaka. Of the injured, Maruf, 30 and Tong 28, were from Jurain of Dhaka and Jewel, 20, from Matlab upazila in Chandpur.

The bodies were sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) for autopsy.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan told the reporters that high officials of visited the spot where raids were still on.

The recovered money would be handed over to the bank officials in the presence of the top brass of the district administration, police sources said.

UNB adds: Leader of an inter-district gang of robbers, was killed in a shootout between police and his henchmen at Magurjora in Trishal early yesterday.

Police said Abdul Khaleq, 45, died in crossfire when his accomplices opened fire on a police team that took him to Magurjora at about 2.30am for arms recovery.

Khaleq died on the spot while two sub-inspectors of police were injured.

Earlier on Saturday night, police arrested Khaleq from Tongi.

Injured sub-inspectors Maqsudul Momin and Mansur Habib were admitted to Trishal Health Complex.

The body of Abdul Khaleq was taken to police custody.