A leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was shot dead in the capital, Dhaka, as the violence in the neighbouring country escalates ahead of the general elections.
Azizur Rahman Musabbir, a leader of the Swechchhasebak Dal, a volunteer wing of the BNP, was shot dead while another was injured after miscreants opened fire on them on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue near Karwan Bazar’s Star Hotel on Wednesday night, according to a report by The Daily Star. He was the former general secretary of Dhaka City North Swechchhasebak Dal.
Following the fatal attack, Masud was rushed to BRB Hospital in Panthapath, where he was declared dead by the doctors, according to the police.
The development comes a month after a prominent anti-India leader from the party, Osman Hadi, was shot dead.
Sufiyan Byapari Masud was injured in the shooting and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Fazlul Karim, additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
According to the police official, the miscreants opened fire on the Musabbir and Masud near the Star Hotel at around 8:40 pm.
Masud, a resident of Keraniganj, is currently being treated in the emergency department of the DMCH, Fazlul told the Bangladeshi newspaper. He is the general secretary of the Tejgaon Thana Van Workers’ Union, according to Mohammad Javed, who brought Masud to the hospital.
The incident triggered rage among BNP workers, and around 200 party leaders and activists staged a protest at the city’s Karwan Bazar intersection. The protestors blocked the Saarc Fountain intersection, bringing the traffic to a standstill.
The road was cleared at around 10:30 pm after the army personnel arrived and dispersed the traffic, resuming the normal flow of traffic, according to an India Today report. The demonstrators, however, returned to the spot, prompting the security forces to cordon off the area while allowing vehicles to pass cautiously.
Units of the police and army were deployed for several hours in the vicinity to avert future disturbances.
