The deceased, Mannan Dewan, 45, was the acting general secretary of Mirpur Eleven Star Club.

At around 1:00pm, Mannan was watching the television sitting on a chair in a room of the club when two youths appeared and wanted to know whether Mannan was there, witnesses said.

"Moments after Mannan revealed his identity, the two youths drew pistols from their waists and one of them shot twice in his head point blank," a club staff who witnessed the incident told The Daily Star wishing anonymity.

As bullet-hit Mannan collapsed on the chair, the armed youths fled the scene. Locals tried to chase them but the criminals made a safe passage by shooting twice in the air.

Locals rushed Mannan to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Four months back detained top-listed criminals Bikash and Pichchi Kamal sent a letter from jail to Mannan demanding Tk 5 lakh, Mannan's family members said. Another local criminal Parvez, who was arrested three days back, had handed over the letter to Mannan.

As Mannan refused to provide the money, the criminals asked him not to collect jhoot (garment by-products) from a local garment factory but he declined to comply with.

"Three days ago a caller introducing himself as a man from 'Bikash-Pichchi Kamal Group' gave Mamun a seven-day ultimatum to leave his business, threatening to kill him otherwise," a close relative of Mannan told reporters.