Dhaka, Bangladesh — New details are emerging over a brutal attack on a rally marking the 75th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Awami League in the capital’s Turag area, with investigators alleging that the incident was not a spontaneous clash but a premeditated operation aimed at eliminating political rivals.
According to preliminary findings by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, seven Awami League activists who went missing after the June 22 attack were allegedly abducted under the direct instruction of former parliamentary candidate and BNP leader S M Jahangir.
Authorities have so far recovered four bodies from the Turag River, while search operations remain underway for the remaining three. Officials involved in the investigation said the initial autopsy reports revealed signs of severe physical torture before the victims were killed and dumped into the river.
Investigators now suspect the attack was part of a targeted “killing mission” designed to establish political dominance in the Turag area and create fear among rival activists and local residents.
A senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence teams began tracking the case immediately after the attack and later discovered evidence suggesting that the victims had been forcibly taken away in the presence of the alleged perpetrators.
Local sources claim that Jahangir instructed his associates not to leave any of the targeted activists alive, although authorities have yet to formally confirm those allegations.
Police are also investigating the involvement of several influential local BNP figures and financial backers. Among those named in connection with the alleged operation are local leaders Abul Matbor, Khoka Bhuiyan, Rashed Khan Sujon, Mamun Parvez Tanmoy, and Zakir Hossain Arnob.
Investigators further alleged that the same group carried out another violent assault on June 23, targeting Chhatra League activist Rabbi Hazari, who was later handed over to police in critical condition.
Family members of the victims gathered on the banks of the Turag River as more bodies were recovered, their grief deepening tensions in the area.
“This was not an ordinary political dispute. It appears to have been a calculated and cold-blooded act of murder,” a police official said, adding that no suspect would be spared regardless of political influence.
Multiple police teams are currently conducting raids across Turag and surrounding areas to arrest those named in the case. Several accused individuals have reportedly gone into hiding following the incident.
The killings have intensified concerns over political violence and law-and-order stability in Bangladesh, as the country continues to grapple with deepening partisan tensions.
