The victim identified as Mahmudul Haq Chowdhury, 32, is the younger brother of former upazila chairman Mujibul Haq Chowdhury.

Police said the incident took place at around 9.30pm at Chowdhurypara in Heyanko union when Mahmudul was returning home from a nearby BDR Camp. The gang stopped his motorbike and swooped on him with iron rods and wooden sticks.

The criminals flee the spot leaving him critically injured. Local people rushed him to the Feni Sadar Hospital from where he was shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as his condition deteriorated. He succumbed to his injuries at 12.30am.

A case has been filed in this connection accusing topnotch criminal Babul and others.

Babul, formerly a BCL cadre and now linked with ruling party politics, is the chief of notorious Babul Bahini, sources said.

Family sources said Mahmudul in the recent past helped police and forest department seize huge forest woods, being smuggled by the Babul Bahini, and this might have a link to the murder.

None was arrested in this connection till filing of this report yesterday afternoon.