Mother Shot While Protecting Son as Attackers Target Father

A woman was shot in the waist after a group of armed men opened fire at her husband while searching for their son in Khulna on Monday morning.

The incident took place at around 10.30am on 10 August in the Karimnagar area of Sonadanga, in front of an office of the West Zone Power Distribution Company. The injured woman, identified as 30-year-old Shimul, is the wife of local resident Mukul.

According to police and relatives of the victim, a group of around eight to 10 men arrived at the family’s home in Karimnagar and began looking for Shimul’s son, Hridoy. When they failed to find him, the attackers allegedly turned their attention to his father, Mukul.

The assailants reportedly fired at Mukul. However, the bullet missed its intended target and struck Shimul in the waist.

The sound of gunfire, followed by Shimul’s cries for help, drew the attention of nearby residents. The attackers then fled the area before local people could intervene.

Residents subsequently rescued Shimul and took her to Khulna Medical College Hospital for treatment. Doctors said her condition was not critical.

The incident has raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the attack and the motive behind the assailants’ search for Hridoy. Police said they were examining whether a previous dispute involving Hridoy may have led to the incident.

Sonadanga Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said the attackers might have had an internal dispute with Hridoy. Their decision to confront the family after failing to find him appeared, at least initially, to have been intended to intimidate him, he said.

Police are investigating the incident and attempting to establish the identities of those involved. The circumstances leading to the confrontation, the nature of any dispute involving Hridoy and the reason the attackers targeted Mukul are expected to form key parts of the investigation.

The shooting also highlights the risks faced by family members when disputes involving an individual escalate into violence against others. In this case, Shimul was not the apparent target, but was injured when the gunfire directed at her husband went astray.

No further details about arrests or the recovery of firearms were immediately available.