Rehana Hossain Khan, mother of Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Asif Hossain Khan, yesterday broke down while talking about her son who became the victim of a brutal police assault and arrest on Monday.

"When my son won the Commonwealth Games gold medal, I dedicated him to the countrymen. He belongs to this country and a country also has some responsibility to its hero," Rehana said at a press conference organised by the National Shooting Federation (NSF) at DRU conference room.

"I am shocked at what has happened to my son and I am worried about his future. I expect that the Prime Minister shall take measures to punish the guilty," appealed Asif's mother.

Shahina Mamtaj Suromi, shooter and younger sister of Shoebuzzaman -- the Commonwealth Shooting Championships gold medallist who is still lying at bed in Metropolitan Hospital in the city along with Asif -- was pushed by policemen during Monday's assault at the National Shooting Federation Complex.

"They (police) behaved cruelly with us as if we were terrorists. One told my brother to leave the country or he will get him into 'crossfire'. This is a blow for us physically as well as mentally. We are sports persons, not criminals who can be tortured like this," said Suromi in tears.

Bangladesh's chances to send the shooting team to the Asian Games to be held in Doha this December looks remote as the doctors fear that Asif, who was preparing to lead the shooting team to the Asiad, would not be able to take part in competition within months although the injuries he suffered following severe beating with sticks and rifle butts would heal within six-seven weeks.

"According to the doctors, the foot injuries of Asif won't allow him to properly stand in position for shooting for at least five months. He also suffered injuries in his left hand with which he has to hold the rifle," NSF general secretary Nazimuddin Chowdhury told at the press conference adding that Shoeb would also take a long tome to recover.

"Apart from injuries, most of our young shooters are terrified and mentally shocked. I don't think we can send our team to the Asiad. We have already cancelled the preparation camp and a decision will be taken in tomorrow's executive committee meeting. Air rifle is our best hope and apart from Asif, the mentally depressed Sharmin Akhter also looks to be in no position to compete. The two foreign coaches have also sought help of their embassies."

NSF vice-president Kashem Humayun and member Advocate Moniruzzaman, who fought on behalf of the five arrestees at the court of justice and finally freed them all on bail, also spoke on the occasion.

The NSF, rejecting the police statement on the incident that the shooters and NSF employees led an attack on the members of the law-enforcing agency, demanded a judicial enquiry to find out the truth and the reason behind the events.

"The police statement is false because not a single eye witness has supported the police claim."

Advocate Moniruzzaman, who freed Asif and Shoeb on Monday, informed that he bailed out the rest three -- shooter Ali Hossain Shipu, cook Jahangir and Ansar member Zannatul Ferdous -- on Tuesday. He added that there had been no specific charge against any one in the FIR.

Surprisingly, NSF's controversial president Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury escaped the press on successive days and has yet to provide any statement on the issue.

When asked, the NSF officials said that its president, who once complained that 'most of the sports journalists do not understand English', could not attend due to fever.