Police and locals said the murders took place at Bashikpur village around 11:30pm on Wednesday night.
The district’s Superintendent of Police (SP) ASM Mahtab Uddin identified the deceased as Ibrahim Hossain Ratan, 42, leader of the ‘Ratan Bahini’, and his brother Ismail Hossain Chowdhury, 47, of East Bashikpur.
He said Ratan was accused in a number of cases over different charges including murder, abduction and robbery.
The brothers’ cousin Harunur Rashid told bdnews24.com that the two were in a tea stall when at least five masked men arrived there on a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw.
The assailants opened fire on them at a very close range and fled the scene right away, he said.
Informed by the locals, police came in and rushed the duo to the Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital where the duty doctors declared them dead.
The hospital’s Resident Medical Officer Anwar Hossain said both were killed on the spot. There were bullet wounds on their heads, hands and several other parts of their bodies.
SP Mahtab Uddin said they were conducting raids to catch the killers. “Legal steps will be taken as per the investigation’s findings.”