Nurul Islam Fahad alias Marzan. — Focusbangla file photo

Two suspected extremists, including the ‘mastermind’ of Gulshan café attack Nurul Islam Fahad alias Marzan, were killed in an ‘operation’ conducted by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Mohammadpur in the city early Friday.

A gunfight took place during the operation in Beribadh area where Marzan and his accomplice were killed, said Md Yususf Ali, additional deputy commissioner (media wing) of DMP.

Firearm and motorcycle were seized from the spot, he said.

The accomplice was identified as Saddam.

Bachchu Mia, in charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, said police brought the bodies to the hospital around 3:30am.

The bodies were kept at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue.

According to Monirul Islam, chief of CTTC unit, Marzan is one of the suspected masterminds of the recent extremist attacks in the country and his name surfaced during the investigation into the Holey Artisan Bakery attack at Gulshan in the city, reports United News of Bangladesh.

Saddam was the chargesheeted accused in the killing case of Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio, attempt to murder case of Bahai community leader in Rangpur, Debiganj Hindu priest Jogeshwar Roy murder case and other criminal cases, according to a text message of the CTTC unit chief.

Marzan, a resident of village Afuri under Hemayetpur union of Pabna sadar, was a 2nd-year student of Arabic department of Chittagong University under academic session 2012-13. He was known as Fahad on the campus.

He, however, did not appear at the year final examination and remained missing since 2015.