They dead are Mofazzel Hossain alias Mofa, 32, and Sheikh Golam Mostafa alias Mosto, 30.

The encounter between the Rab members and the PBCP outlaws took place at 9:30pm during an arms recovery operation at Jabusha village under Rupsha upazila of the district.

The Rab seized one revolver, two pipe guns and 16 bullets from the place of encounter.

According to Rab, Mofazzel was arrested at Uttara in the capital while Mostafa was arrested in Rayermahal area of Khulna city on Monday.

Both were wanted in a dozen of murder and several other criminal cases filed with different police stations in Khulna and Bagerhat. They were also involved in extortion, rape and kidnapping, Rab said.

Meanwhile, Badda police last night recovered the bullet-riddled body of an unidentified youth, aged around 25, from a field at Aftabnagar in Badda at about 8:00pm.

The police said the body was dumped there after shooting the youth somewhere else.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy.