Nazma Akhter, sister of bride Afroza Akhter Doli, was hit by three bullets and died in the reception corner. She was carrying. Two children aged between 10 and 12 were also bullet-hit.

It was the wedding reception party of Golam Mostafa Labu, assistant organising secretary of Dhaka city Awami Jubo League (North), at Kazi Community Centre. At around 3:15pm, as guests sat to lunch, six gunmen toting pistols entered the centre.

"As the wedding feast was underway, two of the six killers, both carrying pistols, entered the hall room," a witness said. They fired at random to disperse the guests.

As fear-stricken guests shrieked and ran for cover, the assailants grabbed Shabbir Alam Litu, general secretary of the Tejgaon thana unit of the Jubo League, and shot him point blank four times. He was taken to Shamorita Hospital in a critical condition.

Police said the attack was aimed at killing Litu by hired assailants of another faction of the Jubo League. The incident took place 20 minutes after former AL lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder left the function.

But Nazma, sister of the bride, received three bullets in her chest and abdomen when she stood up to see what was happening. She was taken to the Orthopaedic Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

"The killers did not stop there. They fired at least 50 shots, many of which hit the guests. Chaos, fright and frenzy reigned supreme as guests ran for safety. Some crawled under dining tables," said Nasiruddin, manager of the community centre.

But as the assailants were running away, some of the guests gave them a chase for almost half a kilometre defying retreating shots from the killers and caught two -- Babu and Shahed Ali inside a house at Sheorapara where they took shelter.

They were severely beaten up before being rescued by police. Shahed was sent to the hospital, while the other was confined by the Kafrul police.

Labu was engaged to Afroza of Srinagar, Munshiganj on Friday.

Both Labu and Afroza escaped the assault unhurt. The bridegroom however fainted at the gory scene.

Afroza's elder brother Lablu received four bullets. The two wounded children -- 10-year-old Shiblu and 12-year-old Shuvo -- were hit in the leg and waist.

Rafiq, who was sitting close to the bridegroom, received three bullets in his thighs and his cousin Zahir one in his knee.

Five of the wounded were admitted to DMCH, one to the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases Hospital while the rest to the Orthopaedic Hospital and local clinics.

AL acting President Abdus Samad Azad and acting General Secretary Obaidul Kader blamed the government for the incident.

"Identified criminals, let loose by the coalition government, have killed the sister of the bride," said an AL press release yesterday.