A local political figure and transport worker in Magura was found dead under suspicious circumstances early Wednesday morning, prompting a formal homicide investigation after ritual washing uncovered what appears to be a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Shaker Hossain, 39, senior joint convenor of the Magura Poura Jubo Dal—the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—collapsed at around 5:30 am while on duty at the Royal Express bus terminal counter in the Parnanduali area of Magura central bus station. Hossain, a resident of Parnanduali Beparipara and son of the late Kutubuddin, had worked as a counter master at the terminal for nearly 17 years.
Initial reports suggested Hossain had suffered a sudden medical emergency. Bipul Kumar Das, the manager of the Royal Express Magura counter, explained that Hossain arrived for his early morning shift around 5:00 am. Das last spoke with him by mobile phone at 5:25 am, just five minutes before the day’s first bus service was scheduled to depart. At 5:35 am, the bus conductor discovered Hossain slumped over and unresponsive inside the ticket booth.
Transport colleagues rushed Hossain to Magura 250-Bed District Hospital, where attending physicians pronounced him dead on arrival. With no immediately visible external trauma, medical staff initially surmised that a fatal stroke or sudden cardiac arrest was the cause of death.
Tragedy turned into a criminal investigation later that morning when relatives brought Hossain’s body home to perform traditional ritual ablutions prior to burial. While preparing the body for washing, family members noticed a puncture mark concealed by hair on the back of his skull.
Hossain’s body was promptly returned to the hospital for forensic evaluation. Dr Khandakar Mainul Hasan, an emergency department physician at Magura 250-Bed Hospital, confirmed that medical staff shaved the area to examine the lesion. Doctors identified a clear penetrating wound at the back of the head. Dr Hasan noted that while a penetrating injury is present, a formal forensic post-mortem examination is required to determine whether the wound was inflicted by a firearm projectile or another object.
Family members and political colleagues allege that Hossain was targeted in a calculated assassination. Md Kutubuddin, a relative and member of the Magura District BNP, stated that eyewitnesses at the terminal reported two unidentified individuals arriving on a motorbike shortly before the incident. According to witnesses, the motorcyclists deliberately revved a loud exhaust pipe, while a waiting passenger reported hearing a sound resembling a gunshot around the same time. Stains of dried blood were subsequently found on top of the desk and on the floor underneath where Hossain was seated.
Magura Superintendent of Police Molla Azad Hossain inspected the crime scene at approximately 10:00 am alongside forensic specialists from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Law enforcement officers cordoned off the ticket counter to gather forensic evidence, physical traces, and ballistic material. Police officials stated that while they are currently pursuing all possible leads, final conclusions regarding the nature of the death will depend on the upcoming post-mortem report and forensic findings.
