Bangladesh: Woman arrested in NCP leader shooting case

Dhaka, Dec 23 Bangladesh's police have arrested a woman in connection with the shooting of a National Citizen Party (NCP) leader, local media reported on Tuesday, citing an official.

The victim, Mohammad Motaleb Sikder, the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and a central organiser of NCP Sramik Shakti, was shot on Monday at a house near Gazi Medical College Hospital in the Sonadanga area of Khulna city.

This incident came just days after radical Islamist leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot on December 12 by assailants in Dhaka.

Confirming the arrest, Taimur Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Detective Division (DB) of Khulna Metropolitan, said that the woman was taken into custody from the Sadar Police Station area of the city on Monday night.

The woman has been identified as Tanima, also known as Tanvi, though the police did not release further details about her identity.

Citing multiple local sources, leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that Tanima serves as the joint member secretary of the Khulna district branch of NCP's youth wing, Jubo Shakti.

Reports suggest that Sikder was shot at Tanima's rented house in the Sonadanga area of Khulna on Monday. He was rescued by the locals and taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) in an injured condition.

KMCH Superintendent Md Akhtaruzzaman said that Sikder is currently out of danger

"The bullet hit the left side near his ear and exited without entering the head. His scalp was injured, but he is now stable and out of danger," said the doctor.

Meanwhile, police said they are initially treating the shooting as a "domestic dispute" after investigations found that the shooting took place inside a rented house in the Sonadanga area.

Sikder first told police that assailants on a motorcycle shot him on the street and fled. However, investigators later confirmed that the attack took place inside the house.

Khulna Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (South) Mohammad Tajul Islam said, "When we arrived at the building called Mukta House, we found blood stains in various places. Upon entering the house, we saw that there were drugs scattered there - foreign liquor bottles, yaba consumption equipment and a bullet shell were also recovered. We have confirmed that the shooting incident occurred due to an internal dispute among the people present there. We are verifying who was involved and who used to travel there."

Bangladesh has been gripped by escalating violence and a degrading law and order situation under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

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