Youth Leader Kibria Murder: New Details Emerge

Ghulam Kibria, Member-Secretary of Pallabi Thana Jubo Dal, was shot dead by assailants in the capital’s Pallabi area. He was killed in broad daylight, and while fleeing, the attackers also shot a rickshaw driver for not driving fast enough.

The incident occurred around 6:45 pm on Monday (17 November). CCTV footage shows three helmeted assailants entering a shop in Mirpur’s Pallabi area and firing several rounds at Ghulam Kibria from close range. He collapsed instantly.

After the shooting, the attackers fled the scene. Kibria was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared him dead. Leaders and activists of Jubo Dal and other BNP-affiliated organisations gathered at the hospital soon after. They claimed the murder was politically motivated and demanded a proper investigation.

Police say they are investigating whether the killing resulted from internal conflict or another motive.

According to police sources, at around 6:40 pm, Ghulam Kibria was sitting inside the Bikrampur Hardware & Sanitary shop in Block-C, Road 5, Section-12 of Pallabi. Three assailants arrived on a motorcycle, entered the shop, and before anyone could react, fired seven close-range rounds at his head, chest and back.

Kibria fell to the floor after being shot. While the assailants were escaping, local people managed to catch one of them and handed him over to the police. The arrested man is being interrogated, and seven empty shell casings used in the murder have been recovered from the scene.

Meanwhile, as the killers tried to flee in an auto-rickshaw after shooting Kibria, they also shot the driver, Arif (20), for failing to drive fast due to low battery charge. He has been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Pedestrian Md. Piarul Islam, who brought Arif to the hospital, said he found him lying injured near Mirpur 11.5, C-Block. As no one was helping, he took him to a local Islamic hospital first and later to DMCH.

He said Arif told him that two helmeted men boarded his rickshaw and ordered him to drive quickly. When he could not accelerate due to a low battery, they shot him in the waist and fled.

Pallabi police have said no case has been filed yet. Whether the incident stems from internal rivalry or another issue will be clear after investigation.

Officer-in-Charge Md. Mofizur Rahman said one suspect had been arrested with public help, and efforts are underway to catch the others based on his information. Police are also communicating with the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, BNP and its affiliated organisations held a protest rally in Pallabi demanding justice for Kibria’s murder.

Khaborwala/TSN