The dead are Alamgir Sikdar, 22, an electrician, Faruq Hossain Jashim, 23, driver of a private car, and Saidur Rahman Sila, 36, Meherpur district commander of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Janajuddha faction.

Alamgir and Faruq were killed when Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) men and their accomplices were involved in a fire-fight at Shyamoli in the capital while Saidur was killed in crossfire when police and his accomplices engaged in a gun battle at Mujibnagar in Meherpur early yesterday.

Family members of Alamgir and Faruq claimed the two were missing for the last two days.

Rab claimed they raided a club in Shyamoli around 1:10am where four to five men were allegedly planning criminal activities. As Rab men reached the spot, the alleged goons opened fire on them from their hideouts to which Rab retaliated. During the battle, a number of the gangmen managed to escape while Rab claimed to have found bullet-riddled Alamgir and Faruq on the spot.

Rab also recovered an automatic pistol, one pipe gun, several bullets, two cellphones and several bottles of phensidyle from the spot. The law enforcers said both the dead were accused in different cases including murder cases.

Rab filed two cases against the two with Mohammadpur Police Station, one for attacking the law enforcers and the other under Arms Act.

Meanwhile, Faruq's father Mujibur Rahman told The Daily Star Faruq, driver to a Major of Comilla Cantonment, had been residing near the cantonment in Comilla with his family for several years.

Quoting Faruq's wife Shilpi, Mujibur said Faruq left home on Sunday around 7:00pm after receiving a phone call. He has been missing since then. His family members tried to call him over telephone several times but could not reach him.

"Learning about the so-called 'encounter' on TV, I went to Mohammadpur Police Station and later found his body at Dhaka Medical College (DMC) morgue," he added. He claimed no criminal case was filed against his son with any police stations.

Meanwhile, Alamgir's mother Rokeya Begum said her son worked as an electrician for an electronics company. She said on Sunday evening someone called Alamgir over the phone and he went out saying he was going to Shibchar of Madaripur to visit his grandmother. He had been missing since then. Learning about the death of her son she also found the body at DMC morgue.

Claiming her son 'clean', she said, "I am challenging my son was not involved in any criminal activities."

Meanwhile, Saidur was killed in an encounter with police at his home in Tungi Gopalpur near Mujibnagar in Meherpur. Saidur was the Meherpur district commander of Janajuddho, police claimed.

According to police, they arrested Saidur at a house in Mujibnagar upazila on Monday evening. Later, following his information a police team went to Tungi Gopalpur with him to arrest his accomplices and recover hidden firearms.

When the police team reached Khoksa around 4:30am yesterday, Janajuddha operatives ambushed the team. Police retaliated leading to a gun battle.

Police claimed Saidur, trying to escape custody during the battle, was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot. Police however failed to recover any firearms or arrest anyone.

Police claimed Saidur was accused in six murder cases filed with Mujibnagar Police Station.