Rising wave of target killings sparks nationwide alarm
Staff Correspondent
A chilling sequence of targeted killings across multiple districts in Bangladesh over the past ten days has triggered widespread panic and raised grave concerns over the proliferation of illegal firearms, deteriorating law enforcement control, and rising political and territorial rivalries.
At least seven individuals—ranging from working journalists and local political organizers to business competitors and individuals with criminal records—have been gunned down or hacked to death in daylight and nighttime ambushes since October 12.
The latest casualty occurred early Thursday in Khulna City's East Baniyakhamar area, where 32-year-old Towhidul Islam was shot dead in front of Ansar Ali Lane around 5:30 AM.
The execution-style shooting right before dawn has left urban residents shaken over the worsening security environment.
The bloodshed reflects a sinister pattern of coordinated hits executed by armed assailants who frequently utilize motorbikes, masks, and illegal sidearms to ensure rapid escape. On Wednesday night in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, Jahir Fakir, president of Kalapaharia Union Juba Dal in Araihazar, was ambushed by a gang of 15 to 20 armed assailants as he returned home from his pharmacy.
He was repeatedly hacked with sharp weapons and succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
Family members alleged the assassination was politically motivated due to his upcoming campaign for union parishad chairman. Hours earlier on Wednesday morning, Saker Hossain, senior joint convener of Magura Pourashava Juba Dal, was found shot dead at the Royal Express bus counter in Magura.
Journalists and grassroots political organizers have also increasingly found themselves in the crosshairs of armed groups.
On the night of October 15, Lutfuzzaman Alif Fakir, a correspondent for IP TV channel Ruposhi Bangla and administrator of the investigative page Detective Article, was gunned down outside a tea stall in Durgapur, Netrokona. Two motorcycle-borne assailants fired multiple rounds at close range after Alif published reports on local extortion and illegal activities.
In another attack on October 16 in Sitakunda, Chattogram, Juba Dal worker Tareq Hossain Bappi was hacked and shot dead over sand trading rights and territorial dominance. Meanwhile, underworld rivalries have also claimed lives; on October 12 in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, listed criminal Saheb Ali was shot in broad daylight and thrown into a canal, while on October 16 in Rajbari, Piarul Islam, named in 15 criminal cases, was gunned down outside a mosque following evening prayers.
Dr. Touhidul Haq, Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University, noted that viewing public safety through a partisan lens rather than an objective security framework severely undermines crime control.
Experts opined that urgent steps are needed to stop targer killings to bring peace in the society.
