After the beating at the complex, police arrested five including the shooters and took them to Gulshan Police Station where they beat the arrestees some more before sending them to a court charging them with assaults on policemen.

Internationally acclaimed shooter Asif, who was preparing for the Asian Games to be held in Doha in December, and another shooter Shoebuzzaman were admitted to Metropolitan Hospital with injuries all over their bodies.

Witnesses said a police car of Deputy Inspector General (Special Branch) Dr Sadiqur Rahman approached the shooting complex area at 12:15pm with the DIG's wife in it. While the chauffeur was attempting to park the car in front of the complex, a security guard asked him not to park there since the spot is not a parking space.

As the chauffeur insisted on parking there, the guard got locked in an argument with him, which turned into a scuffle.

Other guards and employees of the complex also came out and joined the scene.

On information, a three-member patrol team of police led by Sub-inspector Jasim rushed there with Gulshan Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Obaidur Rahman Khan, Assistant Commissioner Zannatul Hasan, and Officer-in-charge Mahbub Alam Khan following.

According to witnesses, the policemen started beating whoever they found inside the complex.

Many of about 30 shooters, who were practising inside, came out hearing the commotion and fell victim to the indiscriminate beating.

According to the shooting federation officials, at least 25 shooters were injured.

"We don't know why police attacked us suddenly as we came out to see what was happening," Asif, the gold medallist in 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, told reporters as he was lying on a bed in the hospital.

"We, in fact, tried to stop the brawl but police would not listen to us."

A group of marauding policemen went to the dormitories and tried to storm the women's quarters.

As the mayhem ended, police arrested three shooters Asif, Shoebuzzaman, and Ali Hossain, cook Jahangir and an Ansar member Zannatul Ferdous and took them to Gulshan Police Station.

To their utter dismay, Asif and Shoebuzzaman once again saw the marauding mood of police there, who started beating them again with sticks.

"They broke three to four sticks on us there. They beat me everywhere. I can hardly walk," Asif said, expressing apprehension that he might not be able to participate in the next Asian Games.

SI Faisal Zaman filed a case against the five accusing them of assaults on police and produced them before the court.

The court, on receiving bail petitions, freed Asif and Shoeb on bail and sent the other three to jail.

As Asif and Shoeb were being taken to the hospital, profusely bleeding Asif was struggling to walk as blood was dripping from his head.

"I don't know when I'll be able to pick up a rifle again," said Asif.

Shoeb, also in pain, described the horror he had suffered at the hands of the law enforcing agency. "We were stunned as they started to beat us senselessly. They dragged me to a toilet and beat me as I was lying on the floor," said Shoeb.

Talking to reporters, Orthopaedic Surgeon Ziaul Haq of the hospital confirmed that X-ray reports of the shooters did not show any fracture.

"But it will take at least six to seven weeks for the injuries to heal. They won't be able to resume practice before that," said the surgeon.

Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahman claimed that the shooters were arrested because they had been involved in an assault on the policemen.

"The staff of the complex forcibly took our patrol team inside and beat them up. Our OC and AC also became victims of the beating when they rushed there," the DMP commissioner said during a news conference in his office in the evening.

He denied that police beat up the arrestees inside Gulshan Police Station but said the arrestees might have been injured during the scuffle with police in the shooting complex. He further claimed that three law enforcers -- SI Jasim, Constable Anwar Hossain, and an Ansar member Ziaur Rahman -- were injured there.

DMP directed Joint Commissioner (Detective Branch) Shahidul Islam to investigate the whole incident.

"If we find in the investigation any excess by our policemen, we'll take steps accordingly," he said.

National Shooting Federation Vice-president Kashem Humayun termed the police attack as barbaric and demanded punishment of Gulshan Zone DC Obaidur Rahman Khan, Officer-in-charge Mahbub Alam Khan and SI Jasim.

"We are considering filing of a case against this barbaric attack. We also demand release of the three who are in jail. Now we fear for our security," said Humayun at a news briefing in the shooting complex.

"They ransacked the dormitory and injured at least 25 persons. We also demand that all the injured get proper treatment from the government," he added.