He was identified as Lutfor Rahman alias Bodu 35, son of Ihsam Ali of Char Milpara.

Acting on a tip-off, police cordoned off Char Milpara area at around 3:30am where members of the gang were holding a secret meeting.

Sensing the presence of the cops, Bodu's accomplices opened fire, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate.

Bodu received bullets during the "shootout" while his cohorts managed to flee. Police said they took Bodu to Kushtia General Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

According to police, Bodu was an accused in ten criminal cases including five for murder filed with Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali police stations.

In another raid, Daulatpur police arrested nine people, including two cadres, of notorious "Lalchad Bahini" at Sangarampur village.

The arrested gang members are Abdur Razzak, 35, and Abdus Salam, 29. Both are close associates of former BNP lawmaker Reza Ahmed Bachhu Mollah, police said.

In Meherpur, a team of Rapid Action Battalion recovered a rifle and ten bullets from Lakhmipur village early yesterday.

On receiving information, a team of Rab-6 went to the village and recovered the rifle and bullets from a bush owned by one Atiar Mondol of the village. No one was arrested.