Unidentified criminals shot dead a primary schoolteacher and inured his younger brother inside their house in the district's Ramu upazila early yesterday.

The dead, Mohammad Nurusafa, 35, was an assistant teacher of Boro Bil Govt Primary School in Ramu. He was the son of Abdur Mabud of Mohammad Sharif Para village.

The victim's family alleged that Nurusafa was killed over land dispute with his co-villager Mohiuddin.

This correspondent, however, could not contact Mohiuddin for his comments in this regard as he went into hiding soon after the incident.

Around 3:00am, a dozen assailants stormed the house and looked for Nurusafa, said police, quoting the victim's family.

"I requested them [attackers] to leave my house with Tk 3 lakh and five tolals of gold ornaments we had in the house, but they told me that they came to take the life of my son, not to rob the house," said Mabud while talking to police.

At one stage, they entered the bedroom of Nurusafa and opened fire on him. As his younger brother Mohammad Nurunnabi, 25, screamed for help, the criminals also shot him in the left leg before fleeing the scene, Mabud added.  

 The injured were rushed to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. Nurusafa, father of a one-year-old daughter, died on his way to the hospital.