They were identified as Jahangir Alam alias Zakir, 30, son of Joynal Abedin of Chandpur, Alamgir Hossain Kalam, son of Abdul Karim of Narayanganj, Suja Mia, son of Chan Mia, and Ershad, son of Moslem Mia, of Sherpur.

Police said they arrested two of the gang from Comilla on Thursday night with a hijacked microbus. Following their statement, another two were arrested in Gazipur on Friday.

Taking a tip from the arrestees, police took them to Durgapur to recover hidden arms and arrest their accomplices. When the law enforcers reached near Shafiul Alam Steel Mill along with the four, their accomplices opened fire, prompting police to retaliate.

Police said the carjackers were caught in the crossfire while trying to flee from police custody. They were rushed to Comilla Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared them dead, police added.

Two cops, including a sub-inspector, were also injured in the encounter. Police recovered two revolvers, one light gun and some bullets from the scene.

Sources said six members of an inter-district gang of carjackers, including the four, hired a microbus from Shimrail in Narayanganj on Thursday to go to Sherpur. After reaching Nokla in Sherpur, they strangled the microbus driver, Kamaluddin, 28, and fled with the vehicle.

Police recovered the body of the driver from Baneshwardi in Nokla upazila of Sherpur district on Thursday night.

Jahangir and Alamgir were arrested in Comilla when they came to sell the microbus on Thursday night. According to their statement, police arrested Suja and Ershad in Gazipur early Friday.

Two other suspected female members of the gang--Tahmina and Halima--were arrested in Laksam upazila of Comilla district.