The arrestee, identified as Billal Khandaker, is accused in 12 criminal cases including robbery, said police.

Four teams of Pallabi police cordoned off 12 houses at Lalmati at around 2:15am on information that a group of criminals took shelter in one of the houses.

Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman said sensing police presence three of the criminals climbed on the roof of the tin-shed house and managed to escape the arrest.

"Failing to escape, Billal climbed on the rooftop of a nearby three-storied under-construction building where a constable took position earlier. The constable shot Billal in the waist and arrested him wounded," Mizanur Rahman told The Daily Star.

The victim is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police custody.

Police said Billal is an active member of a gang of robbers. He had been arrested two months back from Mirpur Section 11 with looted goods and came out of jail on bail.

However, Billal claimed he is innocent and he looks after a dental clinic of his father in Mirpur area.

He said as police knocked his door in the night, he got scared and tried to hide on the rooftop of a building. Though marks of shot gun pellets were evident in his waist, Billal said that he suffers injuries when he was coming down from the rooftop.