Mohammad Ali alias Hasan alias Mohammadya, 30, was a professional robber.

Sources said Double Mooring police arrested Mohammad Ali at Agrabad area on Wednesday night. A gun loaded with five rounds of bullet was recovered from him. He was held for his alleged involvement in looting Tk 30 lakh from Agrabad branch of Islami Bank and Tk 24 lakh from a transport businessman.

Following his statement under interrogation, a police team taking him with them went to Latifpur area to nab some other robbers at around 3: 00am.

As the policemen reached Udayan Residential Area of Latifpur, Mohammad's accomplices opened fire on them. Police returned fire that escalated into a fierce gunbattle, police said.

At one stage of the gunfight, Mohammad trying to flee the police van got shot, and died on the spot. Two constables--Bellal and Abul Basher--were also injured in the shootout, the police source added.

Mohammad Ali, who hailed from Double Mooring, was an accused in six criminal cases. He was involved in the sensational Chittagong chamber robbery, said sources.

HAZARIKA
Hazarika, an 'arms dealer' and activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of ruling Jamaat-e-Islami, was brought to Rab headquarters at Patenga immediately after his arrest. On quizzing him for three hours, Rab men in three groups started for different areas of the city and district to recover illegal firearms. Hazarika was accompanying one of those teams.

The raids were continuing till filing this report at 7.45pm last night.

Sources said Hazarika stands accused in at least five criminal cases including one for a double murder in 2003. He is a charge-sheeted accused in the double murder of AL leaders Faruk Mahmud Siddiquee and Soleman Khan. The four other cases were filed for arms dealing.