"As Shaheen reached Bhai Bhai Store, 100 yards off his home on a blue motorbike, three youths waylaid him and fired at him," said a witness, adding that he found him to collapse on the ground after 10 shots that rocked the area.

Shaheen, 28, was a construction contractor of Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority. He was allegedly leading a local gang after its chief Nabi went into hiding two years ago, locals alleged.

Shaheen, also the owner of M/S Shaheen Enterprise and Sumi Construction, went out of his house on Road No. 12 in Shekhertek at 9:00am to go to Gulshan-2 Desa office to collect a bill, said victim's assistant Abdur Razzaq.

With two bullets in the armpits and five in his legs, Shaheen was rushed to a local clinic by the nearby shop-owners and doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Varying versions emerged on the motives for his killing.

Abdul Quddus, Shaheen's uncle, said a local gang might have killed him after he denied their demand of Tk 70,000 in protection money.

Other relatives alleged local hoodlum Al Amin snatched Shaheen's motorbike from Ring Road six months ago and returned it only after he got Tk 50,000 from Shaheen.

They said Al Amin might have a hand in the killing.