Bangladesh: Awami League leader critically wounded in gun attack

Dhaka, March 30 (IANS) An Awami League leader was critically wounded after being shot by unidentified assailants in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district, in the latest incident of political violence in Bangladesh, according to local media reports.

The victim was identified as 52-year-old Shafiqul Islam Azam, a former general secretary of Awami League in Amla Union of Mirpur.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening at Sadarpur Bazar in Amla Union.

According to police, Shafiqul was at his business establishment when a group of individuals called him outside and shot him before fleeing the scene, Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.

Reports suggest that he was rescued by the locals in a critical condition and taken to Kushtia General Hospital.

Resident Medical Officer Hossain Imam said that Shafiqul suffered gunshot injuries to his right eye, left jaw and upper abdomen.

“The abdominal injury has likely damaged blood vessels, causing heavy bleeding. His condition is critical,” UNB quoted Imam as saying.

He further said that Shafiqul has been referred to Dhaka for advanced medical care.

Three rounds of live bullets, a magazine and a motorcycle were reportedly recovered from the scene by the police, while Assistant Superintendent of Police in Mirpur Circle, Muhammad Mahmudul Haque Majumder, said that the matter is under investigation.

This latest incident of violence reflects a continuing pattern of attacks on Awami League leaders and activists that has persisted since the eighteen-month tenure of the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

Recently, another Awami League leader died in custody at Keraniganj Central Jail in Dhaka, as custodial deaths of the party members continue to rise in Bangladesh.

The 55-year-old Shahnur Alam Shanto died on the night of March 13 while undergoing treatment at the National Heart Institute and Hospital in Dhaka during his incarceration, local media reported.

Earlier this month, the Awami League expressed grave concern over what it described as ongoing mass arrests and custodial killings of political leaders and activists across the country, saying the actions violate fundamental rights and undermine justice and the rule of law.

The party alleged that the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government has followed the path of the former Yunus-led interim government by using state machinery to carry out "repression, torture, and suppression" aimed at silencing dissent and pursuing political vengeance.

"Mass arrests of political leaders and activists, along with deaths in custody, continue to occur. Repeated arrests, indiscriminate remand orders, and reports of custodial deaths are causing pain and anger across the nation," the Awami League stated.