Another Bangladesh student leader shot in head, days after Osman Hadi's killing

A senior labour leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizens Party (NCP) was shot in the head in Khulna on Monday, December 22 marking the second high-profile attack on a youth or labour leader this month amid escalating political unrest following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

The injured leader, Md Motaleb Sikder (42), a central organiser of the NCP’s workers’ organisation, was shot at around 12.15 pm at a residence in the Sonadanga area of Khulna. Saif Newaz, an organiser of the NCP’s Khulna metropolitan unit, told Prothom Alo that Sikder serves as the central organiser and Khulna divisional convener of Jatiya Sramik Shakti, the party’s labour wing.

According to party sources, Sikder was actively involved in preparations for an upcoming divisional labour rally in Khulna scheduled to be held in the coming days. While initial reports suggested his condition was critical, party leaders later clarified that the bullet grazed his skull and that his condition has since stabilised.

The shooting comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions across Bangladesh following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi earlier this month. Hadi, a prominent figure associated with last year’s July uprising, was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. Local media reports said two assailants on a motorcycle pulled up alongside the rickshaw and fired at him, hitting him in the head.

Hadi was initially rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors diagnosed severe brain stem damage. Due to the critical nature of his injuries, he was airlifted to Singapore on December 15 and admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Singapore General Hospital. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that he succumbed to his injuries on December 18 despite extensive medical intervention.

A key leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising, Hadi served as the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, or the Platform for Revolution. He was also preparing to contest the Dhaka-8 constituency in Bijoynagar in the next general elections, expected in February 2026.

Known for his outspoken criticism of India and its perceived role in Bangladesh’s domestic politics, Hadi had frequently made public statements after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following last year’s uprising.

Hadi’s death has triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh, with demonstrators gathering at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection and in several other cities, demanding swift justice and the immediate arrest of those responsible. Authorities have urged restraint, warning against further violence while assuring firm action against the perpetrators.