Of the dead, Khondoker Iqbal Hossain, 22, a first year student of honours in management, was killed in Dhaka while Mokbul Hossain alias Mishu, 26, an alleged criminal, in Narayanganj and SM Golam Mortuza Chand, an outlawed party leader, in Rajshahi.

Police identified Iqbal as listed criminal Dipu alias Golakata Masum. Relatives of Iqbal yesterday said he had gone missing from a function at a community centre in Asad gate area sometime after 9:30pm Friday.

A police press release said a team of Detective Branch of police went to Rayer Bazar area at 2:35am yesterday on information that a group of criminals had assembled in the southern part of Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard.

"As soon as the DB team reached there, 10 to 12 unidentified miscreants opened fire on them, and left the area after firing about 30 bullets," reads the police release.

It said the police team found an unknown youth lying injured on ground at the scene of shooting.

Police recovered a 7.62-bore foreign pistol, two bullets and three spent bullets.

They rushed Iqbal to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital at 3:30am, but doctors declared him dead.

Police claimed Iqbal was accused in five cases including four for murder. Of the murder cases, one filed with Ramna and three with Mohammadpur Police Stations.

Sub-Inspector Shafiuddin Sheikh and Iqbal Hossain were injured during the gunfight, the police release claimed.

NARAYANGANJ
Police arrested Mokbul alias Moshu, an accused in five murder cases while he was extorting money from a Dhaka-bound passenger bus in Dariakandi area of Sonargaon on Friday.

A joint team of Sonargaon and Bandar police took Mokbul to Madanpur of Bandar at around 3:30am yesterday to recover illegal firearms.

"We had to open fire as miscreants had already started firing on us. And at one stage, Mokbul received bullets fired by the gangsters," said Belayet Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sonargaon Police Station.

Mokbul was taken to Narayanganj Hospital, but doctors declared him dead.

Identifying him as a member of infamous Surat Ali gang, police said they had recovered a revolver with six round bullets and 13 cartridges from the spot. They claimed three of the policemen received bullet wounds during the shootout.

RAJSHAHI
A Rab-5 team arrested Golam Mortuza Chand, a leader of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), in Taherpur Bazar of Bagmara Thursday. Following information obtained from him during interrogation, they took him to Mohonpur upazila to recover firearms in the early hours yesterday.

But as the Rab team reached Belgachhi area at 1:35am, a band of outlaws fired on them. The Rab men returned fire and it soon escalated into a gunfight.

"After about eight minutes into the gunfight, the Rab men found bullet-hit Mortuza lying along the Khoyra Bazar-Belgachhi Road. Doctors declared him dead when he was rushed to Mohonpur Health Complex," reads a Rab press release, adding that the Rab team had recovered a shutter gun, a bullet, and a knife from the scene.

Chand was accused in three murder cases filed with Bagmara Police Station, said the Rab release.