Panic gripped residents and shopkeepers in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali on Saturday night when a group of masked gunmen stormed a busy local market, detonating crude bombs and opening fire indiscriminately. The violent rampage left three people injured, including a senior assistant headmaster of a local high school and two shop workers.
The incident took place around 10:00 pm at Banglabazar, situated in the Jiratali Union of Begumganj. According to eyewitnesses and local residents, a gang of 10 to 12 unidentified individuals, all wearing face masks, emerged from an alleyway on the eastern side of the market and positioned themselves along the primary Noakhali-Lakshmipur highway.
Without warning, the assailants detonated several crude bombs, known locally as cocktels, causing deafening explosions that created immediate panic among traders and late-night shoppers. As terrified bystanders scrambled for safety, the masked men discharged firearms indiscriminately into the crowd before fleeing the scene.
Those injured in the attack have been identified as Rajibuzzaman, 56, assistant headmaster of Samsunnahar High School; Md Sakib, 17, a shop assistant; and Mohammad Nazim Uddin, 18, also a shop worker. All three victims sustained multiple pellet wounds across various parts of their bodies.
The educator’s brother-in-law, Md Suman, confirmed that Mr Rajibuzzaman suffered several pellet strikes to his back, arms, and chest. He is currently receiving medical care at his residence. Meanwhile, local trader Saiful Islam described the moment two crude bombs exploded directly outside his shop front, noting that the entire assault unfolded within minutes as the masked assailants fired relentlessly while retreating.
The two younger victims were rushed to hospital during the early hours of Sunday. Dr Rajib Uddin Chowdhury, the Residential Medical Officer at the 250-Bed General Hospital in Noakhali, confirmed that Sakib and Nazim were admitted around 1:00 am with multiple shotgun pellet injuries and are undergoing treatment.
The Officer-in-Charge of Begumganj Police Station, Md Shamsuzzaman, stated that three individuals were injured by pellets and bomb splinters. Police officers have commenced a thorough investigation to identify the masked perpetrators, determine the motive behind the attack, and maintain communication with the injured parties. Law enforcement operations are currently underway across the area to apprehend those responsible.
