The victims were identified as bank guard Abdul Mannan, 42, and sweeper Nazrul Islam, 30.

Police and bank sources said a gang of robbers entered the bank by breaking open a window and stabbed Mannan and Nazrul to death while they were asleep. The bandits also disconnected the telephones.

"They tried but failed to break open the vault of the bank despite repeated attempts," police said.

The grisly incident of slaying the two bank men could not come to light until noon on Sunday, as the day was a public holiday on the occasion of the May Day.

As Mannan did not go home until noon on Sunday and his family members failed to contact him over phone, they went to the bank and found the bodies.

High officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Detective Branch (DB) of police visited the spot.

The bodies were handed over to their family members after autopsy. A case was filed with Savar Police Station.