Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) volunteer wing Swechhasebak Dal Leader Azizur Rahman Musabbir was shot dead in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area on Wednesday night.
Musabbir was shot dead near the Super Star Hotel in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar around 8:30 pm by unidentified assailants, who also injured another man in the attack.
The injured victim, Sufian Byapari Masud, serves as the general secretary of the Tejgaon Thana Van Workers’ Union.
BNP Leaders Stage Protests
Around 200 BNP leaders and activists gathered at the Karwan Bazar intersection to hold a protest following the killing of Azizur Rahman Musabbir, according to reports.
Who Is Azizur Rahman Musabbir?
Azizur Rahman Musabbir, around 45 years old, was a former leader of the Swechchhasebak Dal, the volunteer wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Originally from Shariatpur, he had contested as a BNP-backed candidate for the councillor post in Ward-26 of Tejgaon during the 2020 city corporation elections. According to reports, his family resides on Garden Road in West Karwan Bazar.
Rise In Political Violence Ahead Of Bangladesh Elections
The incident occurred just weeks after prominent student leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot while leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He was flown to Singapore for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18.
Violence Surges in Bangladesh Ahead of Elections
Violence, including mob lynching, riots, and political killings, has intensified in Bangladesh as the national election scheduled for February 12 approaches.
Incidents of violence against minorities have reportedly increased since Mohammad Yunus assumed office as Bangladesh Interim Government Chief Adviser in 2024. The recent surge in violence includes the hacking and burning of businessman Khokan Chandra Das to death in Shariatpur on December 31, as well as the lynching and immolation of Dipu Chandra Das on December 19 over alleged blasphemous remarks. In December alone, at least 51 violent incidents were reported.
India has expressed concern over the attacks on minorities, but Bangladesh has dismissed New Delhi’s concerns as “exaggerated and misleading,” accusing India of portraying isolated criminal incidents as organized religious persecution.
