A Trinamul activist died after he and his aide were hacked and shot by unidentified assailants in North 24-Parganas late on Thursday night.

Police sources said Mofazzel Haque, owner of a prawn culture farm and a booth-level organiser, was returning home with a close aide Hafizur Gazi on a bike when a group of about eight goons waylaid them near Rajapur market in Champapukur area of Matia.

“The gang stabbed the duo with sharp weapons and to ensure that they are dead, the assailants fired at them from close range and fled. Haque, 51, died on the spot and Gazi is admitted to Basirhat super-speciality hospital in a critical condition,” said a source.

The police said Haque had pending criminal cases against him and was out on bail.

After preliminary probe, the police claimed that the murder was a fallout of old business rivalry. “We are looking into all possible aspects behind the murder. We have got some leads and will arrest the culprits soon,” said an officer.

The sources informed that two years ago, Haque escaped an attempt on his life. Some goons had tried to hack him and opened fire at him. The attack was allegedly led by a rival gang with whom Haque had developed animosity over his prawn culture business.

Local Trinamul leader Abu Ishaq Mondal blamed the BJP for the murder. “The local BJP leadership with the help of goons have unleashed terror in the area ever since they lost the Assembly polls,” he said.

The BJP, however, refuted the allegation.

BJP Basirhat district organising committee president Tarak Ghosh said: “We don’t have any organisation in the area. The murder is an outcome of a rivalry between Trinamul-backed goons. They are blaming us to divert attention.”