A senior labour leader of Bangladesh’s student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) was shot in the head in the southern city of Khulna on Monday, marking the second such attack on a party leader this month amid escalating unrest following the killing of student activist Sharif Osman Hadi.
The victim, Muhammad Md Motaleb Sikder (42) was attacked around midday at a house in the Sonadanga area, Bangladeshi media reported. He is a central organiser of the NCP’s labour wing, Jatiya Sramik Shakti, and also serves as the party’s Khulna divisional convener.
Police officials said Sikder was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital after being shot. While his condition was initially described as critical, medical assessments later indicated that the bullet grazed his skull, and he is now out of danger.
Animesh Mondol, an investigating officer at Sonadanga police station, said the bullet entered near Sikder’s ear and exited after piercing the skin, narrowly missing vital areas. Further investigation into the attack is underway, police said.
Party leaders said Sikder had been actively involved in preparations for a divisional labour rally scheduled to be held in Khulna in the coming days.
The shooting comes days after the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, an incident that has triggered violent protests and heightened political tensions across Bangladesh. Since Hadi’s death, demonstrations and clashes have erupted in several parts of the country, raising concerns over law and order.
The National Citizen Party was formed earlier this year following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. It emerged from the Students Against Discrimination movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, becoming Bangladesh’s first major student-led political party.