Attack on BNP leader in Kushtia, gunshots and cocktail explosions in front of his house

Amid tension surrounding the Khoksa municipality election in Kushtia, an armed attack has taken place on mayoral candidate and former senior joint convener of Khoksa Upazila BNP, Nafiz Ahmed Khan Raju. He was attacked in front of the gate of his own house near the police station around 10:30 pm on Wednesday. The attackers seriously injured him using sharp weapons and iron hammers, then fired gunshots and set off cocktail explosions in front of the house before fleeing.

Family members and locals said that on his way home from the party office, five unidentified individuals confirmed Raju's identity before attacking him. He was struck on the leg with a machete and hit on various parts of his body with an iron hammer. When his cries brought relatives and neighbors rushing to the scene, the attackers fired at least 16 rounds of blank gunshots in front of the house gate to spread panic, set off several cocktail explosions, and fled on motorcycles.

The critically injured Raju was first taken to Khoksa Upazila Health Complex. As his condition worsened, he was later transferred to Kushtia 250-Bed General Hospital. Doctors' initial assessment found sharp-weapon injuries to his right leg, along with two broken bones in his right hand and three broken fingers on his left hand.

While undergoing treatment at the hospital, Nafiz Ahmed Khan Raju alleged that the attack had been carried out deliberately to prevent him from becoming a candidate in the upcoming municipality election. He claimed that although he had informed the administration in advance about the possibility of such an attack, he did not receive the necessary security.

Eyewitnesses to the incident alleged that police arrived at the scene some time after the attack. However, Khoksa police station's officer-in-charge, Molla Zakir Hossain, said that unidentified miscreants carried out the attack and fled, and that police are working to identify and arrest those involved.