DHAKA: Days after prominent “July Uprising” figure Sharif Osman Hadi – known for his anti-India stance – died after being shot at by masked gunmen, a second leader of the agitation that led to the Sheikh Hasina govt’s collapse last year was injured after being fired upon by unidentified assailants in Khulna on Saturday.The attack on Motaleb Shikder – a leader of NCP, which is contesting the Feb 12 parliamentary polls in alliance with Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) – adds to the already tense situation in the country, which witnessed large-scale mob violence in its major cities, including Dhaka, following radical Inquilab Mancho leader Hadi’s death on Thursday, six days after being shot in the head.”Motaleb sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. He is now out of danger and received primary treatment at the dressing room of the hospital’s surgery ward,” Khulna Medical College Hospital superintendent Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman told reporters.Meanwhile, the interim govt has assigned armed security personnel to 20 individuals who were on “hit lists” and facing security threats, home affairs adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Monday. “Those who are on hit lists or concerned about their security have already been provided with gunmen,” he told reporters. While some individuals declined security for personal reasons, intelligence agencies are ensuring appropriate protective measures based on the level of risk. “The intelligence agencies are continuously monitoring the situation to maintain law and order and prevent any possible attacks,” the adviser said, adding that more individuals could be brought under security coverage if necessary.
