Violence in Bangladesh Dec. 22, 2025: Days after Sharif Osman Hadi was killed, Motaleb Shikder, an NCP leader from the July Uprising, was shot in the head in Khulna. Election concerns are raised by a targeted attack that is out of danger, according to recent developments.
Motaleb Shikder (also known as Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar), a senior leader connected to the 2024 student-led July Uprising, was shot in the head by unknown attackers in southwest Khulna city today, shattering the fragile quiet in Bangladesh once more. Fears of an intentional effort targeting young activists ahead of the polls in February are made worse by this horrific daylight attack, which occurred only days after fellow rebel star Sharif Osman Hadi was murdered.
Around 11:45–12:15 p.m., Shikder, 42, the Khulna divisional chairman of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the main organizer of its workers' wing Jatiya Sramik Shakti, was attacked in Majid Sarani, Sonadanga, close to a home where he was getting ready for a labor rally. According to witnesses, the attackers fired straight at his head before running away. With severe bleeding from his left side, he was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where emergency care was started right away.
Despite the trauma, there is good news: the doctors say he is safe. The bullet did not enter his skull; instead, it entered one side of his ear and left the other. After a CT scan at City Imaging Center, he is stable, but it was obvious that the goal was to kill.
On Facebook, NCP joint coordinator Mahmuda Mitu announced that "Motaleb Shikder was shot a few minutes ago." Heavy security has been placed at the crime scene and hospital as part of the police's manhunt, but no arrests or motivations have been established as of yet.
Echoes of Hadi's Murder: A Trend of Specific Attacks?
In less than two weeks, a July Uprising figure has been shot twice in the public eye. On December 12, Hadi, the aggressive speaker for Inqilab Mancha, was shot and killed in Dhaka while starting his election campaign. He passed away in Singapore six days later. His passing sparked anti-India rage, media attacks, and nationwide demonstrations.
Like Hadi, Shikder came from the demonstrations that defeated Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Both advocated for revolutionary change and were outspoken opponents of the previous government. There are rumors in political circles about personal grudges, possibly from competitors or Hasina supporters who are afraid of the youth vote in future elections. Justice for Hadi has been promised by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, and now Shikder is also under pressure.
Animesh Mondal, the chief of police in Khulna, attested to the targeted nature, saying, "Miscreants aimed for his head." Student organizations and NCP sympathizers are mobilizing as tensions rise, calling for the protection of rebel leaders.
Bangladesh is on edge, with elections approaching amid escalating violence
These attacks raise unsettling issues when polls are only a few weeks away. Are the voices of Generation Z, who changed the country, being routinely silenced? The hardest test yet for Yunus's administration is whether to bring order back or run the risk of descending into anarchy.
We've seen this playbook: streets fill, fragile stability fractures, and grief turns into wrath. If justice is delayed, Shikder's survival might either defuse the situation or make it worse.
If you're in Bangladesh, be careful. We're keeping a careful eye on this and will provide updates when they become available. Why are these hits happening? Is it political retaliation or something more serious? Let us know what you think below.
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