Another Muradnagar-Like Horror: BNP-Linked Mob Abducts Wife of Student Leader Amid Wave of Gender Violence Under Yunus-Backed Regime

Patuakhali, Bangladesh | June 29, 2025 — In yet another horrifying reminder of the growing lawlessness and targeted violence under the Yunus-backed regime, a group of armed men linked to the opposition BNP reportedly abducted the wife of a local student leader in Rangabali, Patuakhali, early Saturday morning.According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants forcibly entered the home of Kamal Gazi, the Rangabali Upazila Vice President of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), around 1:00 AM, beat his wife, and tied her hands and feet before abducting her in front of her children and elderly family members.The attack comes just weeks after the brutal rape and public stripping of a Hindu woman in Muradnagar, Cumilla, another case that ignited outrage across the country but has seen no meaningful government response. Observers fear that violence against women and political targeting of ruling party supporters and minority groups are becoming increasingly common under the current administration—one that many say operates with the political and ideological support of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus.Sources say Kamal Gazi has been in hiding since August 5, 2024, when a politically motivated case was filed against him following anti-BNP protests. With the student leader absent from his home, his wife became the target of what activists are calling “revenge abduction and gendered political terror.”“This is not an isolated crime. This is a pattern of systemic political violence designed to break families, silence voices, and intimidate anyone who stands against BNP’s return to power,” said a local Awami League leader.The situation reflects a worsening human rights crisis, with women—especially those linked to ruling party activists and minority communities—increasingly targeted as symbols of political retaliation. Rights groups say the collapse of rule of law and growing impunity have emboldened armed groups and politically motivated criminals.“We are witnessing a repeat of the 2001 terror, but this time with the world watching—and doing nothing,” said one human rights observer.The Yunus-backed regime, installed amid international lobbying and media campaigns, has drawn criticism for enabling opposition-led intimidation, weakening law enforcement, and remaining silent in the face of rising gender and communal violence.Calls are mounting for urgent international intervention, as civil society, women’s groups, and political activists warn of a “coordinated assault on women, democracy, and justice” in Bangladesh.As the nation reels from one tragedy after another, many are now asking:How many more women must suffer before the world acknowledges the true cost of silence and selective diplomacy?