Dhaka, February 23: A member of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman‘s party was shot in the Kalabagan area of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. The injured leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been admitted to the hospital following the attack by unknown assailants.
This incident occurred just days after the BNP secured a significant victory in the 13th parliamentary elections.
According to Bangladeshi media outlet UNB, Shafiqul Rahman, the joint secretary of the BNP’s Ward-16, was shot in front of a shoe market near the police station.
Local shopkeeper Shahparan, who helped transport Shafiqul to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, reported that the injured leader is a shoe supplier. He stated, “Suddenly, a bullet hit his left arm.”
Confirming the incident, Inspector Mohammad Faruk, in charge of the police camp at the hospital, mentioned that a businessman from Kalabagan was brought in and is receiving treatment in the emergency department. He added, “We have informed the Kalabagan police station about the case.”
Local media claims that last week, nine people were injured in post-election violence across five districts in Bangladesh, and a house was set on fire.
On the night of February 14, six people were injured in a clash between two factions of BNP workers in the Natore district’s Lalpur sub-district. This information was reported by The Daily Star, citing Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mojibur Rahman of the Lalpur police station.
He noted that two suspects were arrested and a firearm was recovered from the scene.
The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) in Dhaka reported that between October 2025 and February 14, following the announcement of the 13th parliamentary elections, ten people were killed and around 2,503 were injured in election-related violence.
According to HRSS, over 700 incidents of violence were recorded nationwide, resulting in ten fatalities and more than 2,500 injuries. The report also indicated that 34 individuals were shot, while over 500 homes, vehicles, businesses, election offices, and polling centers were vandalized, looted, or set ablaze.
Experts have warned that with Tarique Rahman‘s rise to power, Bangladesh faces significant challenges in addressing unrest and rising Islamic extremism, reminiscent of the 18-month period under Muhammad Yunus’s governance.
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