Being informed that a gang was looting a North Joypur village house, a six-member police team led by Kalimullah, assistant sub-inspector of Dattapara Investigation Centre, went there at about 3:00am, official sources said.

The gang opened fire on the law enforcers and Kalimullah, 35, and Constable Pradip Kumar Barua, 45, were seriously wounded in the firing, they added.

They were taken to Laxmipur Sadar Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

"Dacoits shot at police as they knocked the house door," an official said on the shooting.

After autopsy, colleagues sent Kalimullah's body to his village home in Patia while that of Pradip was sent to Boalkhali in Chittagong.

Deputy Commissioner M Lutfar Rahman and Humayun Kabir, superintendent of police, Laxmipur, visited the spot.

Ziaul Haque, state minister for local government, rural development and cooperatives, instructed local administration to arrest the culprits immediately.