Dhaka, March 30 – A leader of the Awami League was seriously injured after being shot by unidentified assailants in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district, according to local media reports. This is the latest incident of political violence in Bangladesh.
The victim, 52-year-old Shafiqul Islam Azam, was a former general secretary of the Awami League in Amla Union of Mirpur.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening at Sadarpur Bazar in Amla Union.
According to police, Shafiqul was at his business establishment when a group of individuals called him outside and shot him before fleeing the scene, Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.
Reports indicate that he was rescued by locals and taken to Kushtia General Hospital.
Resident Medical Officer Hossain Imam said that Shafiqul suffered gunshot injuries to his right eye, left jaw, and upper abdomen.
"The abdominal injury likely damaged blood vessels, causing heavy bleeding. His condition is critical," Imam said.
He further said that Shafiqul has been referred to Dhaka for advanced medical care.
Police reportedly recovered three live bullets, a magazine, and a motorcycle from the scene, while Assistant Superintendent of Police in Mirpur Circle, Muhammad Mahmudul Haque Majumder, said that the matter is under investigation.
This latest incident of violence reflects a continuing pattern of attacks on Awami League leaders and activists that has persisted since the eighteen-month tenure of the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
Recently, another Awami League leader died in custody at Keraniganj Central Jail in Dhaka, as custodial deaths of party members continue to rise in Bangladesh.
The 55-year-old Shahnur Alam Shanto died on the night of March 13 while undergoing treatment at the National Heart Institute and Hospital in Dhaka during his incarceration, local media reported.
Earlier this month, the Awami League expressed grave concern over what it described as ongoing mass arrests and custodial killings of political leaders and activists across the country, saying the actions violate fundamental rights and undermine justice and the rule of law.
The party alleged that the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government has followed the path of the former Yunus-led interim government by using state machinery to carry out "repression, torture, and suppression" aimed at silencing dissent and pursuing political vengeance.
"Mass arrests of political leaders and activists, along with deaths in custody, continue to occur. Repeated arrests, indiscriminate remand orders, and reports of custodial deaths are causing pain and anger across the nation," the Awami League stated.
