STAFF CORRESPONDENT

It was like any other morning on the busy Johnson Road in Old Dhaka yesterday.

Around 11:00am, rickshaws slowly made their way past the Dhaka National Medical Institute Hospital while the nearby court area buzzed with crowds.

At that moment, a sudden and thundering sound broke the routine.

Two masked gunmen emerged from the crowd, raised their pistols, and opened fire on a man standing next to a parked car.

Their target, Tariq Saif Mamun, 55, turned and ran through the hospital gate, desperately trying to get away. The gunmen chased him, firing one round after another until he collapsed near the entrance. The entire attack lasted less than three minutes, according to witnesses.

After the incident, the killers showed no urgency. They calmly tucked their pistols into their waists, turned and walked away, disappearing into the traffic.

Police later identified the victim as a top-listed criminal and one of the ringleaders of the “Emon-Mamun Gang”.

Once an associate of notorious underworld figure Sanjidul Hassan Emon, Mamun had long been locked in a deadly rivalry with Emon over control of Dhaka’s criminal network, said sources.

Family members said Mamun had gone to court in the morning to attend a hearing in a 29-year-old murder case and was on his way home in Aftabnagar when he was killed.

Shahinur Alam Shahin, bench assistant of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2, confirmed that Mamun did appear in court.

“The judge took the bench around 10:30am. After one case, Mamun’s name was called. He stood in the dock and marked attendance, but no witnesses appeared. The next hearing was set for February 4 next year,” he said, adding that Mamun left the court around 10:45am.

The shooting sparked panic across the hospital area. Patients, attendants, and passersby ran for cover, while others stood frozen, watching a scene that felt more like a crime thriller than real life.

Police later sealed off the area and collected CCTV footage. “It was a planned hit: swift, calculated, and professional,” said an officer involved in the investigation.

Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami confirmed that Mamun was a top-listed criminal. “We’re analysing CCTV CCTV

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