Police shot dead an alleged mugger and seriously injured another one near Palashi in the city yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Mamun, son of Azizur Rahman while the injured was identified as Dulal. Police also arrested three other alleged muggers.

The incident took place when six people riding in an auto-rickshaw tried to snatch valuables from two rickshaw passengers at about 4:45pm at the Palashi-Nilkhet intersection opposite to Zahurul Haq Hall of Dhaka University.

As one of the women in the rickshaw cried out for help, the muggers took off. At this point, patrol police came forward and tried to stop the autorickshaw. But the vehicle sped away with the muggers hurling bombs and shooting at the police from inside.

Police gave chase in another auto-rickshaw and fired at the muggers in retaliation in which two of the muggers were hit by bullet.

Police chased the muggers into the Tin Netar Mazar complex near Doyel Chattar and arrested four of them while one got away.

Mamun's body was recovered from the auto-rickshaw. Police also found two bombs and a sharp knife on the dead man's person. His body was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy.

The arrested three besides the injured Dulal include the driver of the auto-rickshaw that the muggers were on. They are Nurul Amin, 25, son of

Sirajuddin Sheikh of Jurain, Mokhlesur Bhuiyan, 28, son of Khaleq Bhuiyyan of Comilla and Korban Ali, 26, son of Atahar Sarker of Kafrul area. They were taken to the Ramna police station.

Injured Dulal was hit by a bullet that pierced his belly and was admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in a critical condition.

DMP Commissioner in an order on January 18, 2000 asked police to 'shoot on sight" muggers and robbers to arrest the capital's 'deteriorating' crime situation.

In another incident, a student was shot dead by unidentified men near Padma Cinema Hall in the city's Khilgaon area yesterday afternoon.

The dead Farid Hossain Babu, son of Amjad Hossain was a resident of Madhubagh in the city's Ramna area.

Babu was coming from Khilgaon in a rickshaw when three armed men chased him in front of Padma Cinema Hall. Babu tried to escape but was shot dead by the armed men in front of 31, DIT road where he died on the spot at about 2pm yesterday.

Khilgaon police recovered the body of the victim from the spot and sent it to the DMCH morgue for autopsy.

Police could not give any other details about the murder till last night. They however said that Babu was an HSC examinee.

A case is yet to be filed in this regard.

Lalbagh police recovered the

body of an unidentified young man from Hossain Ali Khan Lane in the city's Lalbagh area at about 7:45am yesterday.

The identity of the man aged about 24 could not be known. There were marks of injuries on his head, chest, back, hands and legs.

Police said he might have been killed some time on Thursday night.

A case was filed with Lalbagh police station in this regard. The body was sent to Mitford Hospital morgue for autopsy.