Chhatra Dal leader shot dead during Narsingdi factional clash

Another activist Ashraful Islam, who was also shot during the clash, is undergoing treatment

A local leader of the BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has died after being shot, while another sustained injuries following a clash between two factions of the organisation in Narsingdi Sadar Upazila.

The incident occurred near the BNP office at Chinishpur in the suburbs around 4pm on Thursday.

Sadekur Rahman, 32, a former senior joint convener of the organisation’s Narsingdi unit, was declared dead at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 7:15pm after he was taken there with bullet injuries, inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH police outpost, told bdnews24.com.

Injured Ashraful Islam, 20, who was also shot during the clash, is undergoing treatment at the same hospital, Bachchu added.

Local JCD leaders said that on Jan 26, the central JCD approved a five-member (partial) convening committee of the district with Siddiqur Rahman Nahid as president, Mainuddin Bhuiya as senior vice president and Mehedi Hasan as general secretary.

A faction within the organisation that was deprived of posts in the committee has been actively advocating for the cancellation of the announced committee since its formation, said Mainuddin, who was recently expelled from the committee.

Amidst the factional conflict, the Chinishpur residence of Khairul Kabir Khokon, the BNP central joint secretary general and also the party’s district convenor, has been targeted with multiple attacks, he added.

According to the police, leaders and activists who were denied positions in the district committee had been protesting near the district BNP office. During the protest, they were attacked by members of another faction, resulting in Sadek and Ashraful being shot in the head and back.

They were first rushed to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital and later shifted to DMCH due to their critical condition.

Police visited the spot, and the cause of the incident is now under investigation, said Fazle E Khoda, the additional superintendent of police in Narsingdi.