Three youths beaten to death

A mob beat three alleged arsonists dead at Kazipara of Mirpur early today, police said.

The victims, all aged around 20, could not be identified immediately, Masud, a nayek at Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp, told The Daily Star.

Moinul Islam, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Mirpur Police Station, told this correspondent that locals caught the three when they were about to hurl petrol bombs at vehicles around 11:00pm last night. A mob then beat them up, leaving them critically injured, he said.   

On information, Mirpur police went to Kazipara and took the three injured men to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 1:20am. Doctors at the hospital declared them dead.

The Daily Star could not independently verify how the three men had died.

Meanwhile, Abdul Wadud, convener of pro-BNP Sramik Dal unit of ward-10, was killed in a "shootout" between police and his alleged associates at Kalyanpur in the capital early today, Moinul said.

He said Wadud, allegedly involved in several arson attacks, was arrested yesterday morning.

Following information from Wadud, a police team taking him with them went to Kalyanpur to arrest another accused around 12:30am today, the OC said.

But when they reached the spot, criminals opened fire on police. The law enforcers also retaliated with gun fire, the police officer claimed.

Moinul said Wadud was caught in the line of fire and injured. When he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, doctors declared him dead at 1:30am today, he claimed.