Three Injured and Politician Attacked in Violent Shooting Incident in Dhaka Gendaria Area
Photo Collected
Armed assailants opened fire in the capital’s Gendaria area on Sunday night, leaving three people injured and a local politician severely wounded. The incident, which prompted local shopkeepers to shut down their businesses in panic, occurred near the Swamibagh Munshirtek Jame Mosque, adjacent to the railway line.
According to witnesses, a group of 20 to 25 individuals brandishing firearms descended on the area at approximately 7:45 p.m., ordering businesses to close before indiscriminately firing into the street. Among those injured by gunfire were tea-stall owner Alamgir, 33, local resident Asha Akhter, 20, and restaurant employee Siam, 18. Simultaneously, Omar Nabi Babu, a member of the Dhaka Metropolitan South unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was attacked and critically wounded by sharp weapons.
Tensions in the area reportedly escalated earlier in the afternoon when local residents apprehended three youths—identified as Rakib, 22, Billal, 25, and Rifat, 21—allegedly for selling drugs. The suspects were taken to the local office of BNP activist Monir Hossain, where they were beaten before being handed over to the police. Witnesses stated that shortly after the suspects were transported to the police station, the armed group arrived, launching an attack on Monir Hossain’s office and surrounding shops. The situation was further exacerbated by intermittent power outages during the assault.
A police internal report suggests the violence stemmed from a dispute over drug trafficking dominance. The report alleges that Monir Hossain and his nephew, Russel, assaulted associates of a local individual known as “Auto Sajal,” a suspected drug dealer and gunman. Furthermore, the report claims that Monir Hossain discharged an illegal pistol during the melee.
By Monday morning, the atmosphere in Swamibagh, Karatitola, and Munshirtek remained tense, with most businesses shuttered. Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrived at the scene around 9:30 a.m. to collect forensic evidence. CID Inspector Saiful Rahman confirmed that his team was processing the site, noting that primary evidence had already been secured by local police.
Gendaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman Khan stated that while no formal case has been filed yet, investigators have recovered 20 spent bullet casings and are currently reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. He confirmed that multiple law enforcement units are actively pursuing the perpetrators.
Local residents and business owners have expressed deep frustration regarding the incident, citing a rampant drug trade as the root cause of the violence. Local trader S.M. Shafiq warned that the open sale of narcotics is destroying the youth and urged the government to intervene to prevent further escalation of criminal activity in the neighborhood.
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