In Shyampur, unidentified criminals chopped and shot dead rice wholesaler Abdur Rob Mazlu, 48, also the vice president of Shyampur Bazar Baboshaye Samity and treasurer of Nama Shyampur Bazar Committee.

Physically impaired, Rob used to go to his shops in a particular rickshaw, his family members said.

While Rob was going to his shop like other days, four gunmen waylaid him at Palpara at around 10:00am.

"As the gunmen encircled the rickshaw, I ran for cover and after going a few yards, turned back and saw the criminals hacking Rob," Rob's brother Abdur Rahman quoted the rickshaw puller as saying.

"You have become a prominent arbitrator", the assailants shouted to Rob when they were chopping him, the rickshaw puller further said. Rob used to arbitrate in the locality.

At one stage of stabbing, the criminals also sprayed several bullets on him.

After they had left the spot, locals rushed Rob to a local clinic where doctors declared him dead.

The goons took away Tk 1.58 lakh from Rob, family members claimed.

Around five and a half years back, some gunmen shot and wounded Rob's elder brother Haji Abdus Sattar, who was also a local arbitrator.

Rob's wife filed a case the same day mentioning that four to five unidentified criminals killed her husband, Shyampur police said.

Mentionable, Mohammad Abu Hanif, 45, a business leader and also president of ward 39 unit of Sramik League, was gunned down at city's Karwan Bazar just a day before the latest murder.

Police could not find any clue as of 5 pm yesterday, nor could they arrest anyone.

Following Rob's killing, businessmen of Shyampur Bazar, Nama Shyampur and Bou Bazar areas pulled their shutters down demanding arrest and punishment of the killers.

In Badda, a teenage hawker strangled a four-year-old boy failing to marry his aunt.

Police recovered the body of Sohel, son of Manik Hawladar, from a field at North Badda on Monday morning. He went missing on Sunday.

Police arrested Farid, 17, a spices hawker, from the area who confessed to the murder.

Sohel's family rejected Farid's proposal for marrying Sohel's aunt Sheuly several times. Being refused, Farid became angry and killed Sohel, police said.

In another incident at Badda, unidentified youths stabbed Ezazul Haq Montu, 25, a bus helper, to death at Merul Badda at about 11:30am. The motive behind the killing could not be known.

Police could not arrest anyone in this connection as of 5 pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, some local goons stabbed a salesman of a cloth shop at Aftab Nagar Balur Math in Badda at 9:30pm, after he refused to give over the keys of the shop.

Locals rushed critically injured Arifur Rahman Arif, 22, to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police said before dying, Arif told them that three to four local youths including Rashed and Ismail took him to Balur Math and stabbed him.

Police could not arrest anyone until last evening.