Two former leaders of the ruling Awami League’s associate bodies--Juba League and Bangladesh Chhatra League – were shot to death in an attack allegedly by their rivals over establishing supremacy at Poddar Bazar under Sadar upazila in Lakshmipur district on Tuesday night.

The deceased are Abdullah Al Noman, 35, and Rakib Imam, 28. Abdullah Al Noman was a former general secretary of the district unit of Juba League and Rakib Imam was an organising secretary of the district unit of BCL.

Police said that there had long been a dispute between AL leader Abul Kashem Jehadhi, former chairman of Bashikpur Union Parishad and AL leader Mahfuzur Rahman, also incumbent chairman of the UP and elder brother of murdered JL leader Noman in the area.

A group of miscreants opened fire on the duo in the Poddar Bazar area under the UP at about 10:00pm, leaving them critically injured, they said.

They were rushed to the Laxmipur Sadar Hospital where physicians declared Noman dead upon arrival, said Dr Anowar Hossain, resident medical officer of the hospital.

He said that Noman was brought dead to the hospital while Rakib was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after giving first aid.

The former BCL leader succumbed to his injuries on the way to DMCH, he said, adding that the duo sustained bullet injuries in their heads and mouths.

Noman’s brother Mahfuzur alleged that their opponent Jehadhi committed the killing to establish their supremacy in the area.

Jehadi could not be reached for comments.

Mahfuzzaman Ashraf, superintendent of police of the district, said that two people sustained bullet injuries in an incident and one of them succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Legal actions will be taken in this connection after investigation, he said.

Additional numbers of law enforcers were deployed in and around the area to ward off any unexpected incident further, the SP added.