A 35-year-old fisheries businessman was shot dead in broad daylight by helmeted assailants in Dumuria upazila of Khulna on Thursday afternoon, while his father was attending a public event addressed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Khulna District Stadium.
The victim, Torikul Islam Sheikh, was the son of Abdus Salam Sheikh, convenor of the Rangpur Union unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). According to Samaresh Mondal, chairman of the Rangpur Union Parishad, Torikul had initially set out from his home on Thursday morning to travel to Khulna city for the Prime Minister’s programme. However, unable to board a bus due to heavy passenger rush, he returned to his locality and sat at a tea stall owned by Abdul Gaffar in the Ambhita-Ramkrishnapur Jora Bottola area.
Eyewitnesses reported that at approximately 1:45 pm, two unidentified individuals wearing motorcycle helmets arrived at the tea stall on a motorbike. After talking briefly with Torikul, one of the assailants drew a firearm and shot him in the head at point-blank range before the duo sped away. Torikul died on the spot.
The tragedy struck while Abdus Salam Sheikh was at the stadium for the Prime Minister’s event. Speaking through tears on Thursday evening, the heartbroken father expressed his helplessness and grief over the loss of his son, questioning who could have committed such an atrocity and remarking that politics had ultimately stripped his family of their joy.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dumuria Police Station, Khondokar Hafizur Rahman, stated that law enforcement officers arrived at the scene swiftly to collect forensic evidence and initiate a thorough investigation. Police have launched drives across the region to trace and arrest the perpetrators. Law enforcement authorities noted that the motive behind the murder remains undetermined.
The incident highlights a sharp rise in deadly violence across Khulna. Between January and 5 November this year, the region registered 77 homicides, with 38 cases recorded within the Khulna Metropolitan Police jurisdiction and 39 across districts under Khulna District Police, raising serious safety concerns among local residents and commercial operators.
