Violence has once again cast a shadow over Bangladesh’s pre-election atmosphere after a gun attack in Chattogram left a BNP candidate injured and one of his supporters dead, underscoring fears of escalating turf wars and criminal influence ahead of the polls.
The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 5) in the Chalitatali area of Bayezid, where Ershad Ullah, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) candidate for the Chattogram-8 constituency, was campaigning.
Police identified the slain man as Sarwar Hossain alias Babla, 43, a longtime BNP activist who was also a listed criminal facing more than a dozen cases, including murder and extortion.
Bayezid Police Station’s officer-in-charge, Jashim Uddin, confirmed that Sarwar died about an hour after the attack while being treated at a private hospital. Jubo Dal leader Shanto also sustained bullet wounds and remains in critical condition.
Ambush outside mosque
Former BNP city office secretary Idris Ali told reporters that the shooting happened moments after candidate Ershad Ullah finished evening prayers. “Gunmen opened fire as he came out of the mosque. Ershad, Babla, and Shanto were all hit by bullets. Babla later died in hospital, and Shanto’s condition is still grave,” Ali said.
Police later said that the assault appeared to stem from a rivalry between two armed gangs fighting for territorial dominance in the Bayezid-Panchlaish area. The faction allegedly behind the attack was led by Sajjad Hossain alias ‘Chhoto Sajjad’, a known local gangster and close associate of fugitive militant leader Sajjad Ali.
According to investigators, Chhoto Sajjad has long attempted to consolidate control over the neighborhood, while Sarwar—once part of the same network—had broken away in 2015. Since his release on bail in August 2024, Sarwar had resurfaced in BNP activities, reportedly positioning himself as a local organizer in Ershad Ullah’s campaign.
Web of crime and politics
Police records show that Sarwar Hossain faced at least 15 cases, including for homicide, extortion, and possession of illegal weapons. This was not the first attempt on his life. In March 2024, gunmen targeted him in Bakalia, killing two others in his car. Investigators later linked that attack to Chhoto Sajjad’s group.
Sajjad himself and his wife are now behind bars in connection with the previous murder case. But their alleged patron, Sajjad Ali—a convicted militant once implicated in the 2000 Bahaddarhat massacre that killed six Chhatra League activists—remains abroad, reportedly directing operations through loyalists spread across Bayezid, Panchlaish, Chandgaon, and Hathazari.
Local intelligence officials told The Voice News that the shooting may have been “part of a continuing turf war between old syndicates now resurfacing under the cover of political activity.” They warned that a pattern of criminal infiltration in local election campaigns has re-emerged in the port city, raising alarms for law enforcement ahead of the national polls expected early next year.
Candidate recovering, probe underway
BNP candidate Ershad Ullah is said to be out of danger and under police protection. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby establishments to identify the attackers.
The BNP’s local leadership condemned the assault, calling it a “premeditated attempt to intimidate opposition candidates.” The party accused the interim authorities of failing to ensure a safe political environment, saying the incident reflects “the law-and-order collapse” since the army-backed caretaker administration took power.
Police have filed a case over the killing but did not confirm any arrests as of Wednesday evening.
Analysts say the Chattogram incident exemplifies the volatile nexus between politics, crime, and local dominance networks that continue to undermine Bangladesh’s democratic process. As campaigns intensify across the country, questions are again being raised about whether the upcoming election can be conducted peacefully under the current interim regime.
