The decision was taken in an executive committee meeting of the federation yesterday afternoon.

NSF general secretary Nazimuddin Chowdhury told reporters that the federation would also go to higher court to defend the three shooters, a cook and an on-duty Ansar member.

The shooting team's participation in the coming Asian Games also looked uncertain after the NSF called off the camp.

"If the mental state of the shooters get better, we will resume the camp as soon as possible and see whether we can send a good team to the Asiad," said Nazim.

The federation, which demanded exemplary punishment for DC North of DMP Obaidur Rahman, OC of Gulshan Police Station Mahbub, SI Faisal Zaman and SI Jasim, also demanded to know the identity of the others involved in the attack and better treatment for the injured. The shooting officials has decided to attend today's human-chain organised by Sommilito Krira Paribar at Muktangan at 3pm and stuck to their previous demand of forming a judicial inquiry to investigate the incident.

With leading air rifle shooter Asif Hossain Khan injured and Sharmin Akhter suffering from fever following the brutal police attack, Bangladesh can hardly send a top-class team to the Doha Games this December.

Despite the NSF decision, the shooters have refused to leave the camp and stayed at the complex hoping that the authority will give them a chance to get into action soon.

Meanwhile, tension mounted around and the federation high-ups and the shooters seemed to stand on different platforms on the issue. The shooters brought out a rally from the shooting complex yesterday demanding punishment for the guilty but the federation officials did not join.

Ex-shooters have been on the road protesting the police action and been trying to encourage the young shooters forget the horror they have been through. The federation officials, however, want to do it on their own.

Former shooter Abdul Gaffar yesterday told reporters that he was called into the meeting and told not to 'poke their noses' into the federation's matters.

"The federation president (Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury) told me that the federation does not like our action. He added that we are ex-shooters and do not belong to the federation anymore, so we should mind our own business," said Gaffar.

"Asif was my student. Not only that, we feel every fellow shooter is like a relative. That's why we are here to stand behind them. We are all unhappy at the way the president treated us today," he added.

Muyeed Chowdhury, meanwhile, kept himself in the middle of controversy. Having avoided the press for two days, he briefly encountered the reporters during a break in the meeting and said he has done everything possible to get bail for the arrestees and the treatment of the injured.

The NSF chief then hastily made his way through the surrounding media men, refusing to make any comments on the 'nature of the police attack'. It was surprising to see the president giving no statement yet on a grave issue like this.

Seriously injured shooters Asif and Shoebuzzaman were still in hospital and uncertain when they would be released.

Asif was not concerned about his condition rather he was worried about his future.

"I have got many things from the country and also given much. But I feel that I have now lost everything. My willpower would not be enough to bring me back to the range. Being out of the range for six months means I would hardly get back my original form," Asif told from his hospital bed.

Showing the plastered left hand, the Commonwealth Games and SA Games gold medalist told, "The plaster would be removed four weeks later and they will do an MRI to know exactly how much damage has been done. If there's any problem in the ligament, it would take nearly a year for me to recover. It would be impossible for me to shoot in a competition after such a long gap."

Shoeb, with stitches on his forehead and marks of beating on the back, could hardly rest due to pain.

Shoeb's father, shocked and quiet, was trying to console him. And just asked how this was possible in a "civilised country".