In Dhaka, a Rab-2 team was raiding the Hazaribagh area for muggers and criminals last night when they identified a gathering of few people inside a makeshift shanty.

"Curious, we came close to the spot. One of the four people there fired on the team, forcing Rab members to fire back," said a Rab official, who was in the team.

Later, they found an unidentified youth lying on the floor with bullet wounds in his head and chest.

Meanwhile, Our Correspondent from Kushtia, reported that the two killed in the region were identified as Biddyut alias Dilip, 34, regional commander of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP)-Janajuddho faction and Moyeen Uddin, 33, member of a notorious gang Hamidul-Rashidul Bahini.

In Meherpur, police arrested PBCP leader Biddyut at a tea stall in Jadabpur of Sadar upazila on Monday.

Police claimed that upon secret information Arif Ahmed, a sub-inspector (SI) of Meherpur Police Station, went alone to the spot in plain clothes around 3:30pm and arrested the PBCP leader with the help of locals.

Police interrogated him at Meherpur Police Station where he admitted to his involvement with the outfit and gave information about hidden firearms at Mahajanpur of Mujibnagar upazila.

When a police team along with Biddyut reached a mango orchard at Mahajanpur around 3:30am yesterday to recover those hidden arms, Biddyut's cohorts opened fire on the police team. Police retaliated leading to an hour-long gun battle.

According to police, Biddyut was caught in the "crossfire" when he tried to escape from the police van during the "shootout". He died on the spot.

His cohorts managed to escape following the gun battle but police recovered two bombs, a locally made rifle and five bullets from the spot.

According to police, Biddyut was a close associate of Abir Hasan, divisional commander of Janajuddho, and took over the charge of regional leader after the death of Abir in a gun battle with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in October last year.

Police said Biddyut was accused in 13 criminal cases including three murder cases filed with Mujibnagar and Meherpur police stations.

In Kushtia, locals captured Moyeen at Radhanagar of Kumarkhali upazila and handed him over to police after beating him up Monday afternoon. He was trying to flee after an unsuccessful attempt to kill the convener of a local anti-crime body.

Police took Moyeen to Kumarkhali Police Station for interrogation where he admitted to his involvement with Hamidul-Rashidul Bahini and gave information about hidden firearms at Kaya.

Police claimed that Moyeen's accomplices ambushed them when a police team along with Moyeen went to Kaya to recover the firearms around 4:50am. An hour-long gun battle between police and the gang ensued as police retaliated in defence.

Police claimed Moyeen was bullet-hit in "crossfire" while trying to escape during the "shootout". He died on the spot.

Police recovered a locally made revolver and two bullets from the spot. Moyeen's cohorts managed to escape.

According to police, Moyeen was accused in 12 criminal cases including two murder cases filed with Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali police stations.

On Monday, locals foiled Hamidul-Rashidul Bahini's attempt to kill the convenor of "Santrash Protirodh Committee", an anti-crime body, Zahidul Islam at Chueria in Kumarkhali upazila and captured two other cadres of the gang-- Mizbar, 20, and Sumon, 23. Locals also ransacked at least 20 houses belonging to the gang members.

Police recovered a double-barrel gun and five bombs from the criminals.

According to police, 18 cadres of the gang have been killed in different incidents including "crossfire" and infighting between gangs. Four police personnel were killed in gun battles with the gangs in 2003.