Unruly JCD activists swooped on Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) staff, who did not release the body without performing an autopsy on it.

The activists also physically assaulted photojournalists and broke a camera when the latter tried to snap photographs of the slain JCD leader.

Three assailants shot Ariful Islam Sohag, 23, son of Zahidul Islam of Faridabad in Shyampur, in his head point-blank, leaving him dead on the spot.

College unit JCD General Secretary Shakil Ahmed Faisal, 22, is receiving treatment at the DMCH with one bullet in his left shoulder.

"Three youths in two motorcycles entered the college at around 12:15pm just after we gave a reception to the freshers," Faisal told the press. He along with Sohag and several activists were chatting in front of the college auditorium.

Witnesses said one of the attackers was looking for Sohag. Once shown, they enquired about Sohag's identity and shot him.

"Sohag raised his hand to resist the gunmen, but the bullet pierced his palm," Mokhtar Hossain, JCD vice-president of the college, told reporters.

As Faisal shouted to chase the assailants, they opened fire on him and fled the scene, firing blank shots, said the witnesses.

College Principal Nurul Haque said he is clueless about the attack. "I was at my office when I heard the gunshots and ran to the spot to find the two lying on the floor."

Both the leaders were rushed to National Medical College and Hospital in Old Dhaka and then to the DMCH where doctors declared Sohag dead.

The JCD activists tried to take away the body without the autopsy, but the DMCH staff resisted them. The student wing of ruling BNP attacked two guards -- Mizan and Afsar -- but police intervened and sent the body to the morgue.

The JCD activists turned to the photojournalists and broke the camera of Nasim Sikdar of daily Naya Diganta. The youths then manhandled and hurled abuses at them and injured Sanaul Haq of the New Age, Bappi of Naya Diganta and Nazrul Islam of Jugantor.

Police could not speculate on the motive behind the killing. Deputy Commissioner (East Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mahbubul Alam told the reporters they are trying to find out if a personal feud led to the killing.

"We're examining the clues the killers had left behind and considering all sorts of possible reasons."

The police recovered three used bullets and beefed up security measures in the area.

A source said Sohag had a feud with a former VP of the college's students union. The former VP who is trying to hold sway over the locality might have masterminded the killing, the source added.

Sohag had worked for a candidate of the governing body election of Saint Francis Xavier School held on Friday, while the former VP worked for another candidate.

Another source suspects he was killed following feuds over the JCD college unit committee. "He was facing some problems regarding the committee as his tenure ended a couple of months ago."

Buddin, an alleged drug peddler of the locality, might have killed Sohag, who had recently helped the Department of Narcotics Control seize a huge drugs cache from a slum behind the college.

No case was filed until 8:00 last night.

Soon after the attack, general students left the campus in fear of further attacks. The college authorities have closed the institution. A tense situation is prevailing.