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Published : 05 Nov 2025, 07:03 PM
A man has been killed and BNP’s Chattogram-8 candidate Ershad Ullah has been wounded when gunfire broke out during a campaign visit at Bayezid Bostami.
Ershad, also the convenor of the BNP’s Chattogram metropolitan unit, and three others were shot and taken to hospital.
The dead, Sarwar Hossain Babla, was listed by police as a top criminal who had recently claimed to be a BNP activist.
The other injured are Irfanul Haque Shanto, joint convenor of Ward No. 3 Swechchhasebak Dal; Aminul Haque; and Mortuza Haque -- all of whom are involved in BNP politics.
The shooting took place around 5:30pm near Chalitatoli East Mosque at Bayezid Bostami.
The five were taken to Evercare Hospital in the Ananya Residential Area, where Sarwar died around 6:30pm, said Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Ameerul Islam.
“Ershad had come to Chalitatoli for election campaigning when gunfire broke out among criminals,” Ameerul said. “We are investigating what triggered the incident.”
A BNP leader involved in city politics said Ershad, nominated for the next parliamentary elections from Chattogram-8 (Boalkhali-Panchlaish), had gone to the area for campaign outreach.
“After Maghrib prayers at Chalitatoli East Mosque, shots were fired at Sarwar Babla. Ershad Ullah and Shanto, who were beside him, were also hit,” the leader said.
The BNP leader claimed the shooting was not an internal clash within the party or its affiliated groups.
Salahuddin Kader, convenor of Ward No. 3 Swechchhasebak Dal, who was present at the scene, said: “There were several attackers. They fired seven to eight rounds. Ershad was hit in the leg, Shanto was shot in the neck, and bullets struck different parts of Sarwar’s body.”
Sarwar’s younger brother, Md Aziz, who was also present during the attack, said: “After the Maghrib prayers, we began distributing leaflets. Suddenly, they opened random fire. The gunmen were mingling with the crowd during the campaign, and some were positioned outside.”
Aziz added, “Both my brothers had been threatened with death several times before, so we were always cautious. But today’s attack was beyond anything we could imagine. The assailants came in a Noah microbus.”
When asked who had issued the threats, Aziz declined to comment.
BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury condemned the attack, saying: “It is the responsibility of law enforcement to control criminals. Such incidents are deplorable and unfortunate.”
“Those who wish to destabilise politics and obstruct the election may be behind this,” he added, demanding the immediate arrest of the attackers.
This marks the first instance of violence during the ongoing campaign for the parliamentary elections.
