The dead are Wasim alias Wasi, 32, and Zakir Hossain alias Tunda Zakir, 30, in Dhaka, Mohammad Siraj, 40, and Mohammad Feroz, 30, in Chittagong, Shyamal Kumar Sarkar, 28, in Satkhira and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in Khulna.

Dhaka
Rab said Wasi and Zakir were listed criminals in Hazaribagh and Dhanmondi areas of the capital.

Rab arrested Wasi with two cartons of phensidyle and two-kilogram marijuana in front of his house at Hazaribagh Thursday afternoon. He was accused in 12 criminal cases filed with Hazaribag and Lalbagh police stations, Rab sources said.

On his statement, Rab-2 members, taking Wasi with them, raided Hazaribagh area early yesterday to arrest his cohorts and recover firearms.

Sensing the presence of the Rab men, the accomplices of Wasi opened fire, forcing the members of the elite force to retaliate. Wasi received bullets during the shootout and died on the spot, the sources said.

Two bullets were recovered from the spot.

Rab arrested Zakir at Boubazar in East Rajabazar area on Wednesday afternoon from a BNP procession, his brother-in-law Shajahan Howladar told reporters.

Following his statement, Rab men along with Zakir went to the Dhanmondi area early yesterday to arrest his accomplices and recover firearms.

Rab sources said Zakir was shot in an encounter between Rab and his accomplices in the area.

Sub-Inspector AB Siddique of Dhanmondi Police Station took Zakir to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital at 3:00am where the doctors declared him dead.

Zakir gave up terror activities after local goons cut off his fingers in 2002. He was later arrested and came out of jail a couple of months ago, his brother-in-law said.

Chittagong
Two robbers--Mohammad Siraj, 40, and Mohammad Firoz, 30--were killed in an encounter with Rab at Hathazari upazila of the district on Thursday night, according to our staff correspondent in Chittagong.

The members of elite force also arrested two of the gang and recovered five firearms and 20 bullets from them.

Acting on a tip-off, a squad of Rab-7 raided Rajarhat village of South Burishachar under Hathazari upazila at about 11:00pm where a gang of nine robbers were preparing to commit a robbery.

The robbers were laying in ambush near the cowshed of one Gunu Mia of the village when the Rab men encircled them at around 11:30pm.

As the Rab men asked the robbers to surrender, they opened fire, inviting retaliatory fire, Rab sources said.

During a 30-minute gunfight, two of the gang--Siraj and Feroz--were shot. They were rushed to the local health complex where the doctors declared them dead.

After the gunfight, the Rab men held a member of the gang named Mohammad Shafiq with firearms, while others managed to flee. They also recovered three guns, one double-shooter, one LG and 20 bullets from the spot.

On the confessional statement of Shafiq, son of Fayez Ahmed of Noapara under Raozan Police Station, Rab held another member of the gang, Fayez Ahmad alias Faijya, at Rubi Gate under the city's Bayezid Police Station yesterday.

During interrogation, the arrested robbers disclosed the names of their three accomplices. They are Jane Alam of Boalkhali, Salim of Rangunia, and Jahangir.

They arrestees were later sent to Hathazari Police Station where two separate cases were filed against them in connection with possessing firearms and an attack on the law enforcers, sources said.

SATKHIRA
Shyamal Kumar Sarkar, a leader of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), was killed during a "shootout" between his cohorts and Rab members at Nagarghata under Patkelghata Police Station early yesterday, reports our Satkhira correspondent.

Rab arrested Shyamal at his village home on the night of May 24. According to his statement, Rab members took him to Nagarghata village at about 3:30am to recover hidden firearms and ammunition.

Sensing the presence of the Rab men, Shyamal's accomplices opened fire, prompting the law enforcers to retaliate.

Shyamal received bullets during the shootout and died on the spot, Rab sources said.

When contacted, officer-in-charge (OC) of Patkelghata Police Station said the outlaw was wanted in three cases including two for murder.

KHULNA
Our staff correspondent from Khulna reported that a regional leader of New Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP) was killed during a "shootout" between police and his accomplices in South Dighi area under Fultala upazila early yesterday.

Police arrested the outlaw, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Wednesday morning. Following his confession, a police team along with the outlaw conducted a raid at South Dighi to arrest his cohorts and recover firearms.

When they reached the area, Bhutto's accomplices opened fire on them (police) from their hideouts, leading to half an hour's gunfight between the two sides.

During the shootout, Bhutto tried to escape and was shot. He died instantly.

Police recovered a pipe gun and three bullets from the spot. They said the outlaw was an accused in a good number of cases including three for murder.

He was one of the three bodyguards of NBCP founder Manoranjan Goshai Mrinal, police said.