Two alleged criminals, including a drug peddler, were killed in separate incidents of “gunfight” with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Dhaka early today.

The deceased have been identified as Maharaj Khalifa, 40, and Najmul Hasan alias Byanga Babu, 38, according to Rab.

Based on a tip-off that a group of drug peddlers were meeting at Satarkul’s Panckhola area, a team of Rab-1 raided the spot around 2:30 am, Rab-1's Assistant Police Superintendent Kamruzzaman told The Daily Star.

Sensing presence of law enforcers, the miscreants opened fire on them forcing them to retaliate triggering a “gunfight”, the Rab official claimed.

Rab found Maharaj with bullet wounds on the spot and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead around 3:30am, Kamruzzaman added.

Rab recovered 3,000 pieces of yaba and several firearms from the spot.

Maharaj had around 29 drug cases filed against him with different police stations, according to Rab sources.

Meanwhile, a team of Rab-4 conducted a drive in Mirpur Beribadh area under Shah Ali Police Station upon information that a group of top criminals were staying there, said Sajedul Islam, senior assistant superintendent of police (ASP) of Rab-4.

As soon they reached the spot, the alleged miscreants opened fire on the law enforcers around 3:00 am, forcing them to fire back that triggered a “gunfight”, the Rab official claimed.

After the criminals managed to flee the scene, Rab found bullet-hit Najmul from the spot. He was declared dead at DMCH around 3:45 am, Kamruzzaman added.

Najmul, second-in-command of notorious Shahadat Bahini, was a listed criminal of the home ministry, according to Rab sources.