Bangladesh: BNP leader critically injured in Dhaka shooting amid rising political violence ahead of Feb polls | World News

As political violence intensified ahead of the February elections in Bangladesh, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was seriously injured when unidentified attackers opened fire in the Keraniganj district of the capital Dhaka, local media reported on Friday.

The victim, identified as 45-year-old Muhammad Hasan Molla, general secretary of the BNP in Keraniganj Hazratpur Union, was shot on Thursday night.

It was reported that his condition was critical and he was taken to the emergency room of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 23:00 on Thursday and is currently receiving treatment.

Confirming the attack, Dhaka Medical College Hospital police station officer Inspector Muhammad Faruk said that a BNP leader named Hasan Molla was brought to the hospital from Keraniganj district with a gunshot wound.

According to the Bangladesh-based Dhaka Tribune newspaper, Faruk said, “He is being treated in the emergency room and was injured by a bullet in the right side of his abdomen. The matter was reported to the relevant police station.”

According to the victim’s brother, Rakib Molla, two unidentified men opened fire on Hasan, who was on a motorcycle, while he was returning home in Keraniganj area. Rakib added that Hasan was shot in the right side of his abdomen as the attackers fled the scene.

“After receiving the information, we rushed to the scene, rescued my brother and took him to the emergency room of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he is currently under treatment,” Dhaka Tribune quoted Rakib as saying.

This latest incident occurred amid a breakdown of law and order and escalation of political violence in Bangladesh ahead of the general elections.

Last week, 65-year-old Anwar Ullah, leader of the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, was killed at his home in Dhaka.

Early on January 8, a member of the BNP’s youth wing, Jubo Dal, was killed and his younger brother was injured in a late-night attack in Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat district, local media reported, citing police officials.

The deceased, identified as 31-year-old Yanul Hossain, was reportedly an active member of Jubo Dal, while his younger brother Abdul Momin, 22, was injured during the attack.

In a separate incident, on January 7, another leader of the BNP’s volunteer wing, Jatiyatabadi Swechasebak Dal, Azizur Rahman Mosabbir, was shot dead by gunmen in Dhaka.

Recently, the BNP expressed serious concerns about the law and order situation in the country ahead of the February elections, criticizing the performance of law enforcement agencies under the interim government led by Mohammed Younis.

Bangladesh has witnessed escalating protests and deteriorating law and order situation since the Younis-led interim government came to power in August 2024.