An Awami Swechchhasebak League leader, injured in a shooting in the capital’s Badda area on Thursday night, has died in a hospital, taking the death toll in the incident to three.
Published : 14 Aug 2015, 11:01 AM
Mahbubur Rahman Gama, 40, was the ruling party affiliate’s Dhaka City (North) unit assistant literary affairs secretary.
Badda Police Station OC MA Jalil on Friday told bdnews24.com that Gama succumbed to his injuries around 9:45am at the United Hospital.
Gama was admitted at the hospital at Gulshan on Thursday night with bullet wounds sustained during the firing near Badda’s Adarshanagar Pump.
Dhaka City Awami League Ward-6 unit Joint Secretary Shamsu Molla, 53, and another person named Firoz Ahmed Manik, 45 were earlier killed in the shooting.
Apart from Gama, local Awami Juba League leader Abdus Salam was also injured. He was admitted at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital with bullet wounds in his back.
Police and witnesses said several local leaders and activists of the ruling party were having chitchat when the shooting took place around 9pm Thursday.
Molla and Manik, who worked at a private hospital in the city, had died after they were rushed to the United Hospital.
Local Swechchhasebak League leader Maruf Ahmed Manik told bdnews24.com that he had joined the conversation with others but escaped the attack since he had gone to toilet.
“We were discussing programmes to mark the National Mourning Day (Aug 15).
“I just went to the toilet and heard the shots. I saw four of them lying on pool of blood when I rushed back,” he added.
A witness, Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Dhaka City (North) unit Assistant Secretary Arifur Rahman, said the assailants were three to four in number.
Gama’s relative Tariqul Islam, who also witnessed the shooting, said, “They came on foot and walked away after the shooting.”
The victim’s associate Tahsir Rahman Saikat claimed Gama was the prime target. “They first shot Gama and then fired randomly,” he said.
They claimed two of the attackers were wielding the guns.
Police said they were in the dark about what caused the shooting or who carried it out.
Officials said they had started their investigations keeping in mind several possible motives - politics, turf war in the area, personal or business rivalry.