Meantime in Chuadanga yesterday, a leader of the PBCP's ML faction died in a 'shootout' between police and his accomplices and outlaws killed a trader, reports our Kushtia correspondent.

Khulna police said PBCP cadre Hekmat Ali Sheikh, 30, was lynched by a mob in Nehalpur village in Rupsha at 10:30pm.

Son of Nizam Uddin Sheikh, Ali was held in the act of realising toll from an owner of a brick-field, police added.

In the other incident, an angry mob lynched PBCP cadre Faruque Mollah at Daulatpur kitchen market in the city at 11:00pm. Faruque, son of Rahman Mollah of Kashiany in Gopalganj and an accused in 11 cases, was held while extorting money, police said.

In Chuadanga, police nabbed PBCP leader Mirajul Hossain alias Kalam from his house in Madhabpur village in Alamdanga upazila Wednesday.

Accused of 10 criminal charges including three for murders, Kalam was quizzed by members of Detective Branch (DB) and taken to Majhugram village to seize their firearms.

Police came under PBCP attack when they took Kalam to the village at around 3:45am and returned fire.

Kalam while making an attempt to escape from a police van was killed in the 'crossfire', police said. They seized two guns, two bombs and three bullets.

In another incident, outlaws slaughtered stock trader Rabjul Islam in Majlishpur village in Damurhuda upazila early yesterday.

The outlaws stormed into Rabjul's house, took him to a nearby field at gunpoint and left him dead at 2:30am.

Family sources said the outlaws demanded toll and threatened Rabjul with dire consequences if he failed to pay them.