Motaleb Sikder, 37, the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and a central organiser of the labour platform Shramik Shakti, was attacked around 11:45 am in the Sonadanga area of Khulna. According to local reports, unidentified gunmen opened fire in public, with the bullet passing through both ears. Sikder collapsed at the scene and was rushed by bystanders to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition. He was later shifted for a CT scan, and officials said he is now out of danger.
Police were deployed shortly after the incident and have launched search operations across multiple locations to identify and arrest the attackers. Investigators said the motive behind the shooting is still being examined.
The attack comes just two days after the funeral of student leader Osman Hadi in Dhaka. Hadi, a prominent face of the July 2024 unrest, was shot by motorcycle-borne assailants on December 12 and later taken to Singapore for treatment, where he died. His killing triggered protests and intensified political tensions across the country.
Sikder’s shooting also follows a series of violent incidents in recent weeks, including attacks on journalists, vandalism of media offices, and the lynching of a Hindu factory worker in Mymensingh, allegedly over unverified blasphemy accusations. A public interest litigation seeking a judicial probe into that killing is currently before the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has publicly condemned mob violence and urged citizens to reject hatred and incitement during what he has described as a critical phase in Bangladesh’s democratic transition. The interim administration has pledged justice in recent high-profile cases, even as opposition groups and rights organisations warn of a growing pattern of political and communal violence.
With elections approaching, Monday’s shooting has intensified scrutiny of law and order and the state’s ability to protect political actors amid rising unrest.
