A man was fatally shot in Chattogram city during an election campaign, according to a widely circulated video clip. The victim, Sarwar Hossain Babla, was approached from behind and shot at close range, leading to his immediate collapse.
The incident took place while BNP’s nominee for Chattogram-8, Ershad Ullah, along with two others, was distributing leaflets in the Purbo Bayezid area. Apart from Sarwar’s tragic death, Ershad Ullah and two others sustained gunshot wounds and were receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital.
Police confirmed that a case related to the shooting was being filed at Bayezid Bostami Police Station, with efforts underway to apprehend the culprits. Officer-in-charge Jasim Uddin assured that law enforcement teams were actively pursuing the perpetrators.
Prior to this incident, there was an armed attack on Sarwar’s vehicle in the Bakalia Access Road area earlier this year, resulting in the deaths of two of his associates. Sarwar narrowly escaped harm in that incident.
Sarwar had a history of criminal involvement, with multiple cases registered against him for offenses such as murder, extortion, and illegal possession of firearms. His family members revealed that Sarwar had received death threats from rivals recently and had been cautious about his movements.
Eyewitnesses recounted that an armed gang arrived at the leaflet distribution area and opened fire, with a close-range shooting captured in a viral video clip. Sarwar was known to be associated with Sajjad Hossain, a suspect in the 2000 murder of eight Chhatra League leaders in Chattogram.
Sarwar’s criminal activities in Chattogram, along with his connection to Nurunnabi Maxon, were subjects of discussion around fifteen years ago. Both individuals were eventually arrested, leading to the recovery of various weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, pistols, and ammunition.