Bangladesh Student Party Leader Seriously Injured in Targeted Shooting
NCP organiser attacked amid escalating violence.
A senior leader of Bangladesh's student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, was shot in the head by unknown assailants in Khulna district on Monday. The attack occurred around 11:45 am at a residence in the Sonadanga area, where Sikdar was preparing for an upcoming divisional labour rally organised by the party's labour wing, Jatiya Sramik Shakti. He sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his head and was immediately rushed to medical facilities for treatment.
Police confirmed that Sikdar was first taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital and subsequently transferred to City Diagnostic Centre for a CT scan. Animesh Mandal, Inspector (Investigation) at Sonadanga Police Station, stated that a thorough probe into the incident is underway to identify the perpetrators and establish the motive behind the targeted shooting.
This assault follows closely on the heels of widespread unrest triggered by the killing of Inqilab Manch spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent anti-India figure who succumbed to injuries on December 18 after being shot in Dhaka on December 12. Hadi's death sparked violent protests nationwide, exacerbating political tensions as Bangladesh approaches national elections scheduled for February 2026.
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The surge in violence has included attacks on minority communities and heightened rhetoric from radical elements within the NCP, which emerged from the 2024 student protests that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Some party leaders have issued provocative statements against India, including threats to support separatist forces in India's northeastern states, prompting a firm response from New Delhi urging the interim government to maintain law and order.
Under interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who maintains close links with the NCP, Bangladesh has witnessed shifting foreign policy dynamics, with efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan amid strained relations with India. As electoral preparations intensify, the recurring incidents of political shootings and protests underscore the volatile security situation prevailing across the country.
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