DHAKA – In a high-profile political assassination that has rattled the capital, Azizur Rahman Musabbir, a prominent leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s volunteer wing, was shot dead on Wednesday night, January 7, 2026. The attack took place in the busy Karwan Bazar area, occurring amid rising concerns over political violence ahead of the national elections scheduled for February 12.
The Incident: Ambush at Karwan Bazar
The shooting occurred at approximately 8:30 PM in a lane near the Super Star Hotel and Star Kabab, behind the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex.
- The Ambush: Musabbir was walking with an associate after attending a program with residents of his native Shariatpur. According to eyewitnesses, assailants on a motorcycle intercepted them and fired at least five rounds.
- Casualties: * Azizur Rahman Musabbir: Hit in the abdomen. He was rushed to BRB Hospital in Panthapath but was declared “brought dead.”
- Sufian Byapari Masud: A resident of Keraniganj and General Secretary of the Tejgaon Thana Van Workers’ Union, Masud sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen. He is currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Police Response and Investigation
Fazlul Karim, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Tejgaon Zone), confirmed that the attackers fled the scene on foot/motorcycle immediately after the shooting.
- Evidence: Police are currently reviewing footage from body-worn cameras and nearby CCTV to identify the suspects.
- Protests: Following the news of Musabbir’s death, nearly 200 BNP activists and members of the Jubo Dal staged a demonstration at the SAARC Fountain and Karwan Bazar intersections, briefly bringing traffic to a standstill before being dispersed by the army and police.
Who was Azizur Rahman Musabbir?
Musabbir was a well-known figure in Dhaka’s political circuit and a staunch BNP loyalist.
- Political Rank: He served as the Member Secretary of the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Swechhasebak Dal and was a former General Secretary of its Dhaka City North unit.
- Electoral History: He contested the 2020 City Corporation polls as a BNP-backed candidate for the councillor post in Ward-26 of Tejgaon.
- Personal Struggle: Family members noted that Musabbir had been arrested multiple times and spent significant time in jail during the previous Awami League regime in connection with various political cases.
Context: Rising Political Violence
This killing follows the recent death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries on December 18, 2025. The spike in targeted shootings has placed the interim administration and law enforcement under intense scrutiny as the country moves toward a crucial election cycle.