Accused in at least 13 cases including six murders, Anwarul Haque Anu, 40, came under attack near the Police Club, about 100 yards away from the Dhaka Court Building.

Anwarul went to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court from his Mill Barracks residence at about 11:00am to appear in the Shawn Mohammad Rob murder case hearing, from where he along with a companion, Abul Kashem, was going to the Stadium Market.

"A group of 10-12 armed men waylaid his rickshaw, surrounded it and fired at least ten times on him," said his brother Manjurul Haque Milon.

At least five bullets hit Anwarul in the head, back and chest, leaving him dead on the spot.

The killers also shot at Manjurul, who was on his motorbike close to his brother's rickshaw.

"I was moving in the same direction when I saw the attackers shoot my brother," said Manjurul. "They fired on me as soon as they recognised me."

A bullet hit Manjurul's leg, but he could run away for a few yards where police were on patrol.

Police took both the brothers to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where Anwarul was declared dead. Manjurul is being treated there.

Kashem, who also sustained injuries, was admitted to the National Medical College Hospital and was released later.

The reason behind the killing of Anwarul, who was the assistant secretary of the BNP's Sutrapur unit and Sramik Dal's convenor of that thana, could not be immediately known.

But police hinted the accused in the Advocate Habibur Rahman Mondal murder might have a strong case to kill Anwarul, who was one of the main prosecution witnesses in that case.

He was receiving death threat since the verdict of the murder case, his family members said.

Given his criminal record, the BNP leader also had a lot of enemies who could have killed him, police said.

A bachelor, Anwarul contested the last Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) elections from Ward 82 as an independent candidate but was marginally defeated by Shahidullah Minu.

He was going to the market to buy a cellphone charger while Milon, a DCC contractor, was going to the Nagar Bhaban.

Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Sutrapur BNP leaders went to the DMCH hearing the news.

No case was filed with the Kotwali Police Station till the filing of this report at 10:30pm. None was also arrested as yet.