Chattogram shooting is a bad omen
The attack on a political event in Chattogram, which left one man dead and a BNP leader wounded, is a chilling warning that the biggest challenge in the coming weeks will be to maintain an atmosphere of peace and stability ahead of the planned election in February. For that to happen, all political actors and the government must make a genuine commitment to curbing the violence that too often taints the nation's political landscape.
The brazen assault occurred while BNP's nominated candidate for the Chattogram-8 constituency, Ershad Ullah, and his supporters were distributing leaflets in the port city's Purbo Bayezid area. According to initial reports, seven to eight armed assailants arrived in a microbus, opened fire, and fled the scene. Police were quick to assert that the BNP leader was not the target but was struck by a stray bullet. They concluded that the actual target was the deceased, Sarwar Babla, a man with an extensive criminal record. The official version described the attack as the outcome of an ongoing gang feud rather than political violence.
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But that is hardly any comfort. The fact that a known criminal was present at a voter outreach event is itself alarming. Reports confirm that Sarwar had been in and out of jail on charges including possession of an AK-47 rifle. Once an associate of a notorious crime boss, he later formed his own gang, waging turf wars over extortion and other illicit activities. This was not his first brush with violence, of course. Just months earlier, Sarwar narrowly escaped an ambush that killed two of his companions. The latest episode, playing out in the shadow of a political campaign, illustrates a terrifying blurring of lines between crimes and politics.
The Chief Adviser's Office has condemned the attack, promising a swift investigation and reaffirming that "violence and intimidation have no place in our political or social life." Yet history shows a darker trend: political parties across the spectrum have too often relied on unsavoury figures to supply muscle and mobilise voters. Such alliances erode public trust and undermine the integrity of elections. That practice must end.
Now, a credible investigation must go beyond apprehending the gunmen to examine why a man facing multiple criminal cases was present at a political event. Also, it is time to confront the nexus between local politicians and criminal syndicates that allows such figures to thrive. With the election fast approaching, the responsibility lies with all parties to renounce violent enforcers. For their part, law enforcement agencies must act as neutral guardians of peace.
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