Former Swechchhasebak Dal leader Azizur Rahman Musabbir was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Tuesday night, police and party sources said, in the latest incident of political violence ahead of elections.
The killing comes amid increasing violence in Bangladesh, with the model code of conduct in force ahead of voting scheduled for February 12. Just days ago, a Jubo Dal leader was shot in a separate incident. Earlier, on December 12, Osman Hadi, a prominent anti-India leader, was also shot dead.
Musabbir, who previously served as general secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan North Swechchhasebak Dal, the volunteer wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was targeted in the Dhaka's Karwan Bazaar area around 8.30 pm (local time).
Police said the attack took place near the Super Star Hotel, close to the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, a crowded commercial zone in central Dhaka. According to initial accounts, assailants opened fire at close range, killing Musabbir at the scene.
Another person was wounded in the shooting and rushed to hospital for treatment. Authorities said the injured individual’s condition was stable.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Tejgaon Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Fazlul Karim, confirmed to local media that two people were shot in an alley beside Star Kabab in Karwan Bazaar.
Musabbir later succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in the Panthapath area, Karim said, adding that he had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
According to local media, the victims were first taken to BRB Hospital before one of them was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for further treatment. Investigators said the attackers fired multiple rounds before fleeing the area.
Security officials have launched a search operation to identify and track down the assailants. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday morning.
The shooting triggered unrest in the Karwan Bazaar area, with a group of people blocking the Saarc Fountain intersection, bringing traffic to a standstill late Tuesday night.
Around 10.30 pm, army personnel arrived at the site and cleared the road, dispersing protesters and restoring traffic flow. However, demonstrators later returned, prompting security forces to cordon off the area while allowing vehicles to pass cautiously.
Police and army units remained deployed in the vicinity for several hours to prevent further disturbances.
Source: India Today