Second student political leader shot in Bangladesh as violence escalates

A senior student political leader was shot and critically injured in Bangladesh’s Khulna city on Monday, in the latest incident of violence to hit the country following a series of high-profile attacks.

The victim has been identified as Mohammad Motaleb Sikder, 42, the Khulna divisional chief of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a central organiser of its labour wing, NCP Sramik Shakti.

According to local media reports, Sikder was shot around 11.45 am at a residence near Gazi Medical College Hospital in the Sonadanga area of Khulna. He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital and later taken to a private diagnostic centre for a CT scan. Doctors said his condition remains critical.

Sikder was overseeing preparations for an NCP divisional labour rally scheduled to be held in Khulna, party organisers told Prothom Alo.

Police said an investigation is under way. Md Rafikul Islam, officer-in-charge (investigation) at Sonadanga Model Police Station, told The Daily Star that the bullet entered through one side of Sikder’s ear and exited from the other, narrowly missing vital organs.

The shooting comes just days after the killing of radical Islamist leader Sharif Osman Hadi, highlighting growing concerns over law and order. Hadi, who was contesting the Dhaka-8 parliamentary seat in the forthcoming general elections, was shot by unidentified attackers in Dhaka’s Paltan area on 12 December.

He was initially admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being shifted to a private facility as his condition worsened. Hadi was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment but died on Thursday night at Singapore General Hospital. His body was brought back to Bangladesh on Friday.

The back-to-back attacks have intensified fears of escalating political violence in Bangladesh, with opposition parties and civil society groups urging authorities to ensure security and bring those responsible to justice.

With IANS inputs