The dead was identified as Aziz Mridha, 65, of Subidkhali under the same upazila.

Family sources said a gang of criminals led by Firoz Goldar, an alleged close aide of Altaf Chowdhury, abducted Jahangir, 28, an AL activist, from his home on Wednesday afternoon.

Hearing the news, Jahangir's father Aziz rushed to the house of Firoz to free his son, where he heard the screaming of his son, who was being tortured by the abductors, and suffered a heart attack and died on the spot.

Then the abductors leaving the injured Jahangir in critical condition fled away and local people recovered the father and son, and sent them to local upazila health complex.

Meanwhile, police foiled an attempt of attack on local AL leader of the same upazila in the early morning of Thursday and arrested two criminals.

Sources said a gang of armed cadres allegedly associated with former minister Altaf Chowdhury gathered near the house of Mokhles Kazi, Mirzaganj upazila AL president, at Madhabkhali union at about 3:30am on Thursday.

Tipped off, police raided the area and chased the criminals and were able to arrest Bashir Mallick, 30, and Saheb Ali, 35.

Md Shah Alam, officer in charge of Mirzaganj Police Station, admitting the facts of both incidents, said Bashir and Sahed were listed criminals and wanted for many cases including murder and extortion.

Police sent them to the court and prayed for ten days of remand, but the court sanctioned three days of remand on Thursday afternoon, the OC added.