The dead were identified as Jamal Uddin, 37, of Srirampur and Asadul Haq Rana, 30, of Garchapra of Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga.

According to Rab a statement, a team of Rab-6 arrested Rana at a house in Port Colony area in Chittagong on Friday while another Rab team arrested Jamal at his home in Srirampur on Saturday. Both were brought to Chuadanga Rab office for interrogation.

Rab sources said both of them made confessional statements about their involvement in Banglar Communist Party (BCP) and informed about their hidden arms caches.

Two Rab teams took Jamal to Srirampur and Rana to Garchapra in Alamdanga to recover arms from their hideouts.

Rab sources said the accomplices of Jamal ambushed them around 4:00am yesterday when the Rab team reached Asannagar.

A gunfight ensued and Jamal while trying to escape Rab custody during the shootout was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot, Rab claimed.

Rab recovered a pistol and four bullets from the spot. Jamal's accomplices however managed to flee.

According to Chuadanga police, Jamal was accused in eight murder cases filed with Alamdanga, Jibannagar and Chuadanga police stations. Chuadanga police had Tk 1 lakh bounty on him.

The Rab team with Rana was attacked by Rana's accomplices as the team reached Munshiganj Railway Station area in Alamdanga upazila around 4:30am resulting in an hour-long gunfight.

Rab claimed Rana was trying to escape from the Rab van and was caught in crossfire. He died on the spot. Chuadanga police said Rana was accused in four murder cases.