The dead were identified as Mizanur Rahman, 25, Sahidul Islam alias Picture, 25, and Tofazzol Hossain alias Tota, 30.

Sources said a Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) patrol team challenged a group of five to six youths near Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital around 11:15pm. As the gang started shooting at the Rab personnel. Rab retaliated leading to a 10-minute gunfight. When the gang finally retreated they left behind the bullet riddled body of Mizanur Rahman.

Police sources claimed Mizanur has several criminal cases filed against him with Tejgaon Police Station including four murder cases.

KUSHTIA

Two cadres of the outlawed Gono Mukti Fouj (GMF) were killed in "crossfire" during a "shootout" between police and their cohorts at Milpara in Kushtia early yesterday, our Khustia correspondent reports.

Police sources said following secret information that GMF is holding a secret meeting at Milpara, a team of Kushtia police raided the area around 3:30am and managed to close in on them.

They asked them to surrender but the criminals started shooting at the police. Police retaliated that lead to a 30-minute gun battle.

Following the shootout the criminals managed to flee but they left behind the bodies of Picture and Tota on the spot. Police also recovered one locally made gun and seven bullets from the spot.

According to police, Picture was accused in eight criminal cases and convicted in a murder case. He was given the death sentence by a special tribunal. Tofa was accused in 10 criminal cases including abduction, rape, robbery and murder.