Minutes before he died, Russell Ahmed Sony, 27, said that while he was going to Lalmatia Club on a rickshaw after drawing Tk 18,000 from a bank, about seven youths waylaid him at about 3:00pm and tried to snatch the money. As he resisted, the gang shot him in the forehead and chest.

As Sony collapsed, the locals chased the attackers, who managed to flee the scene on a CNG-run three-wheeler after intercepting it with its passenger, a student of Lalmatia Girl's College, on, a witness said.

Suman and Akbar, reportedly a player and an employee of the Lalmatia Club, rushed out of the club to take profusely bleeding Sony to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at 3:30pm.

Leaving Sony at the Emergency Department, they went out for blood, but did not return by 5:00pm,when the victim succumbed to his injury.

Mohammadpur police confirmed the incident, adding they could not trace any official of the club or any of Sony's relatives till 7:00pm.

Although police are yet to find out the motive behind the murder, Sony's uncle Shahidul Islam said, "It's no mugging incident, rather it might be the club's internal feud over which Sony was murdered."

While contacted, Lalmatia Club officials said Sony was never a player of the club.

An official of the club on condition of anonymity said,"Sony and some local hoodlums have been occupying the club by force for a long time. They lived in the club and ran drug trade there, marring the sporting atmosphere."

Sony's body was kept at the DMCH morgue.

Meanwhile at around 7:00pm police at the DMCH camp nabbed Akbar from the area in this connection.

In a separate incident at Tajmahal Road yesterday muggers shot one driver of a cigarette distributing company.

Makshudur Rahman, 25, and salesperson Solaiman were distributing cigarettes in a rickshaw-van in the area, when around seven muggers held them at gunpoint at 2:45pm and tried to take away the vehicle. As Makshud refused to hand over the vehicle, the gang shot in his left thigh and fled the spot snatching a few packets from the van.

Makshudur is now receiving treatment at the DMCH.