Wahidul Islam Igloo, 32, was fatally injured as assailants sprayed bullets on him near his Purana Paltan residence. He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he died.

Monir, 30, an employee of a nearby press, also received four bullets in his legs in the same incident. He was admitted to the DMCH.

Family sources said three local criminals -- Palash, Zahid and Bulbul -- came in a motorbike to talk to Wahidul at his house at about 3:00pm. During the course of conversation they hurled abuses at Wahidul's brother Mukhtar, following which Wahidul confined Zahid in a storeroom on the ground floor while the two others managed to escape on their motorbike. Zahid also escaped later.

"Soon after the incident, Wahidul went outside to meet someone when the killers came on a motorbike and shot him point blank in front of Sobhan Mansion, just 100 yards from his house," said a brother-in-law of the victim.

"I saw three gunmen shooting at Wahidul. As I ran for cover, I fell down on the ground and one of the attackers came to me and shot me in the legs," injured Monir told the newsmen at the DMCH.

Police arrested murder suspects Ashfaqur Rahman Palash and Raju from the area.

Police suspect the murder might be a sequel to some business-related dispute between Wahidul and his killers, who, sources said, are operatives of notorious criminal Subrata Bain.

No case was filed with the Motijheel Police Station till filing of this report at 9pm yesterday.