Bangladesh Faces Escalating Campus Violence as Motaleb Sikder Targeted by Gunmen
Bangladeshi student leader Motaleb Sikder was shot in Khulna days after Sharif Osman Hadi’s death.
Unidentified gunmen shot Muhammad Motaleb Sikder, a senior leader of Bangladesh's National Citizen Party (NCP), in the head on December 22, 2025, in the Sonadanga area of Khulna city, marking another high-profile attack on a youth activist amid escalating political violence. The 42-year-old, who serves as the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and a central organiser of its labour wing, Jatiya Sramik Shakti, was preparing for an upcoming divisional labour rally when assailants targeted him around midday. Initial reports described his condition as critical, with the bullet grazing his skull or passing through his ear area, but medical sources later confirmed he was out of danger after treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital and a subsequent CT scan.
The NCP, Bangladesh's first student-led political party, formed in February 2025 by the Students Against Discrimination and Jatiya Nagorik Committee following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has emerged as a significant force in the post-uprising landscape. Sikder, a resident of Sheikhpara Palli in Sonadanga, played a key role in mobilising labour groups and coordinating divisional activities. Party joint principal coordinator Mahmuda Mitu announced the attack on social media, prompting immediate concern among supporters. Police launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, with no arrests reported yet.
This incident follows closely on the heels of the December 18 death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent spokesperson for the radical platform Inqilab Mancha and a vocal critic of India, who succumbed to gunshot wounds in Singapore after being shot in Dhaka on December 12. Hadi's killing triggered widespread protests, arson attacks on media houses, and heightened tensions ahead of national elections scheduled for February 2026. The back-to-back assaults on student and youth leaders have fuelled fears of targeted political violence in the interim government-led transition period under Muhammad Yunus.
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Authorities condemned the attack, with local police confirming the bullet's path avoided vital organs, allowing Sikder's stabilisation. The shooting has intensified scrutiny on security for emerging political figures from the 2024 uprising. As investigations proceed, the NCP and allied groups demand swift justice to curb the cycle of unrest plaguing the country.
Bangladesh continues to grapple with instability, with these incidents underscoring challenges in maintaining law and order during the democratic rebuilding process. Rights advocates call for impartial probes to address underlying motives and prevent further escalation in this volatile environment.
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