The killed are vice-president of Mirpur upazila BCL Sanwar Hossain Jibon, 33, son of Huzur Ali, Mizanur Rahman Maznu, 30, son of Mahbub Ali, and Miton Hossain, 30, son of Wadud Ali of the village.

An unknown caller phoned the BCL men when they were watching a VCD programme at the house of Mizanur Rahman Maznu at about 9:30pm, police said quoting witnesses.

The three went out from Maznu's house after receiving the call, family sources said.

Finding their bodies beside Durbeel canal of the village, locals informed police who recovered the bodies yesterday morning and sent to Kushtia General Hospital for an autopsy.

Sanwar and Maznu worked at Toshiba Rangs electronics factory in Dhaka while Miton worked at his village home.

Sanwar and Maznu, who studied at Mirpur Degree College, were well known as BCL activists in the upazila. They joined Toshiba Rangs factory in March last year due to economic hardship.

During home visits, they took part in party activities. Organising local youths in the area, they raised voice against low quality of the Tk 2.22 crore construction work of the road from Amla to Halsha, which started a month ago.

The contractor of the work, Nuruzzaman alias Hablu Mollah is the general secretary of Daulatpur Jubo Dal and a relative of ruling party lawmaker in Kushtia-1 constituency Reaz Ahmed Bachhu Mollah.

Following protests of the BCL men, vested interest groups threatened them of dire consequences, family sources said.

Blaming the ruling party cadres for the murders, local Awami League demanded immediate arrest of the killers.