Dhaka, May 18 As concerns mount over shrinking political intolerance in Bangladesh, a woman died after allegedly being assaulted while trying to protect her son during an attack triggered by a laughter reaction to a social media post, according to local media reports.
The incident unfolded on Saturday evening in Ukhiya upazila of Cox's Bazar District, where 55-year-old Syada Begum succumbed to injuries following the attack by workers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its student wing, Chhatra Dal.
Citing locals, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star reported that slogans -- “Joy Bangla, Joytu Sheikh Hasina” -- were written on a wall of Taipalong Madrasa a few days ago.
In the wake of the incident, local BNP leaders filed a complaint with Ukhiya police against several activists of the Awami League and its student wing, Chhatra League.
Reports suggest that Chhatra Dal worker Jisan Sikdar made a social media post about the graffiti, to which Mohammad Yunus, known to be associated with Chhatra Dal, reacted to the post with a laughter reaction.
Subsequently, several BNP and Chhatra Dal workers allegedly assaulted Yunus, while SM Imran, was also attacked when he stepped in to save his friend Yunus.
According to family members, Syada rushed to intervene after learning about the attack on her son Imran. While trying to protect him, she was pushed and shoved to the ground. She was later transported to the Ukhiya Upazila Health Complex, where doctors pronounced her dead.
Imran accused local ward BNP President Abdur Rahim and his son Akash, BNP leader Mizan Sikdar and his son Jisan Sikdar and over a dozen others of attacking them without provocation.
“My mother came running to save me. They grabbed her by the neck and pushed her, and she fell to the ground. She was taken to the hospital immediately, where doctors declared her dead,” The Daily Star quoted Imran as saying.
“We are not involved in politics. I want justice for my mother,” he added.
Condemning the assault, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed described the incident as a "shameful" episode for any civilised society.
Taking to his social media platform X, Wazed said, “A phrase deeply tied to Bangladesh’s Liberation War history. If those words can now become a threat to someone’s life, then this is no isolated incident; rather, it symbolises a terrifying collapse of political tolerance within the state.”
Stressing the need for concrete action, he said, “The government’s responsibility is not merely to issue statements. It must ensure impartial investigations, bring perpetrators to justice regardless of political affiliation, and take a visible stand against political violence. Otherwise, every new death will become just another statistic.”
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