Two men, including the leaseholder of Pushpapara market, were killed in a shooting in Ataikula, Pabna, on Thursday evening, 29 October. Police suspect the attack may have stemmed from an ongoing dispute over the market’s lease, although the motive and the identities of those responsible have yet to be established.
The incident occurred at around 7pm at Pushpapara market, where several masked men reportedly opened fire on the leaseholder and his associates before fleeing the scene. Pabna Superintendent of Police Abu Ashraf confirmed the deaths.
The victims were identified as Abdus Salam Haji, 55, the current leaseholder of Pushpapara market, and his associate Ripon Hossain, 50. Both men were residents of Dharmagram village, within the jurisdiction of Ataikula Police Station.
According to police and local sources, a dispute had been continuing between two groups over the lease of the market. Investigators believe the disagreement may have been connected to the shooting, but further inquiries are needed to establish the precise circumstances behind the attack.
At the time of the incident, Salam Haji was sitting with several associates in his office at the market. The masked assailants arrived and allegedly fired indiscriminately at those present. They then escaped, leaving the victims seriously injured.
Local residents rushed to help the two men and took them to Pabna General Hospital. However, the doctors on duty declared both Salam Haji and Ripon Hossain dead upon arrival.
The shooting has raised concerns among local residents, particularly because it reportedly took place at a marketplace office during the early evening. However, the available information does not establish whether the attackers had specifically targeted the two men in advance or how the assault was organised.
Superintendent of Police Abu Ashraf said preliminary information indicated that the shooting was linked to the dispute between the two groups over the market lease. He confirmed that both men had died from gunshot injuries and that police had reached the scene after receiving reports of the incident.
He added that an investigation was under way to identify those involved in the killings. Officers are seeking to establish who carried out the attack and whether the suspected lease dispute was directly responsible for the violence.
The identities of the assailants, their precise motive and the details of their escape had not been confirmed in the initial account. No information about arrests or formal charges was provided.
Disputes over the leasing and management of local markets can involve competing commercial interests, but the circumstances of individual cases must be established through evidence. In the Pushpapara incident, the suspected connection with the lease disagreement remains a preliminary assessment rather than a definitive conclusion.
Police said further details would emerge as the investigation progressed. The immediate priority is to identify the attackers, determine the motive and establish the circumstances that led to the deaths of the two men.
