Akter Hossain, 35, was arrested with a loaded pistol after he shot and injured Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) BM Nuruzzaman, an assistant director of Rab 3, during a tussle between them near Moghbazar intersection.

Meanwhile in Chapainawabganj, two 'arms dealers' were killed yesterday in crossfire between criminals and Rab in a mango orchard at Ranihati in Shibganj upazila.

On Monday in Dhaka, the tussle took place when the Rab official challenged a group of six youths upon information that they were preparing to rob a money exchange office in Moghbazar. The five other suspected robbers however managed to flee, reports our staff correspondent.

Rab claimed that Akter, accused in four cases filed with different police stations in the capital, was the leader of a robbery gang known as 'Akter Bahini'. In his confessional statement, Akter confessed to having six other accomplices.

They are Bahadur, Chora Babul, Mohsin, Ataul alias Hira, Masud Rana and Delu. Akter also confessed to be a member of commissioner Chowdhury Alam's gang.

Several Rab teams were conducting raids at different hideouts to capture the criminals till yesterday evening.

Following Akter's confessional statement, a Rab team along with Akter went to Shantikanan of Uttar Mugdapara area to capture the other members of Akter Bahini.

Sensing the law enforcers, Akter's gang members opened fire on Rab triggering a 15-minute gunfight between Rab and the criminals. At around 2:45am, Akter was caught in crossfire as a bullet shot by one of his cohorts hit him. The assailants managed to flee the scene, said a Rab press release.

A revolver, three bullets and two cartridges were recovered from the spot, added the press release.

Rab took injured Akter to a local hospital where the doctor declared him dead. Later in the morning, his body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.

A woman named Lata Begum, claiming to be wife of the deceased, identified the body and said that her husband's name was Rafiqul Islam, not Akter. "He might have been involved in criminal activities as we had no contact with him in the last six months. All I knew that he was a businessman of garment wastage,"

Meanwhile, Ramna police sent Hira, another listed criminal arrested soon after the Rab official shooting on Monday, was sent to a Dhaka court yesterday with a five-day remand prayer.

Our staff correspondent in Rajshahi reports, two 'arms dealers' -- Faruk, 35 and Khoka, 32 of Shibganj upazila -- were killed in crossfire during a gun battle between the criminals and Rab.

The incident occurred yesterday in a mango orchard of Ranihati in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.

The two had been engaged in illegal arms trade for a long time and were out of reach of the law enforcement agencies, said Rab.

A Rab team from Rajshahi Railway Colony camp in the guise of prospective arms buyers from Dhaka went to the mango orchard and started negotiating with a large group of arms traders at around 2:15pm, according to Rab.

The arms dealers displayed a huge cache arms to the Rab men and at one stage they refused to hand over the arms and instead tried to snatch money from the Rab members.

When the Rab personnel exposed their identity and took position around the criminals to capture them, the arms dealers fired two shots in an attempt to flee the scene. Rab also returned fire and two of the criminals -- Khoka and Faruk -- were critically injured. The two were taken to a local health complex where they were declared dead.

Rab with the assistance of villagers and police later recovered a German revolver, four US made 7.65mm pistols, three bullets and three cartridges, claimed Rab.