A local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khulna’s Rupsha upazila on Thursday night, shortly after a district law and order committee meeting concluded with a decision to take tougher action against crime.
The victim, identified as Md Zakir Hossain, 43, was attacked at around 10:20pm on November 12 while sitting at a shop in the Swalpobahirdia village of Rupsha, police said.
According to police and local sources, two helmet-wearing assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire, targeting Hossain’s head, before fleeing the scene.
He fell to the ground with gunshot wounds. Locals rescued him and took him to Rupsha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead.
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His body was later sent to the morgue of Khulna Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.
Additional Superintendent of Khulna District Police Abir Siddique Shuvro confirmed the killing, saying Hossain was a brick and sand trader and a member of the BNP’s search committee in No. 4 TSB Union under Rupsha Police Station.
He was the son of Abdul Jalil Sheikh and a resident of Khajadanga village. He was also the elder brother of Abu Sayeed, a former general secretary of East Rupsha Chhatra Dal, according to police.
Police visited the crime scene following the incident and launched an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.
Rupsha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Masum Khan said several police teams were working to determine the motive behind the killing and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The incident triggered tension in the area, while BNP and its affiliated organisations’ leaders and activists rushed to the hospital after learning of Hossain’s death.
Killing follows law and order meeting
The murder took place shortly after two high-level meetings in Khulna focused on deteriorating law and order.
The district law and order committee meeting, held on Wednesday evening, concluded around 8pm, with participants deciding to take stringent measures to improve the situation. A possible joint-force operation against criminals was also discussed.
A subsequent meeting of the core committee of law enforcement agencies ended around 10pm, with further emphasis on conducting tougher operations to restore law and order.
Despite the decisions, the shooting took place just 20 minutes later.
78 murders reported in Khulna
With Hossain’s killing, the total number of murders reported in Khulna has reached 78, according to the report.
Of these, 40 cases were recorded in Khulna District and 38 in Khulna Metropolitan area.
Police said investigations were underway to establish the motive and identify those involved in the latest killing.
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