Five people were shot when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group travelling to a pre-wedding (Gaye Holud) ceremony in Begumganj upazila in Noakhali early Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 12:15am in Gazitola area of Moushakpur village under Alaiyapur union.
Begumganj Police Station Officer-in-charge Md Shamsuzzaman confirmed the matter.
The injured were Nazrul Islam Shanto, Maruf Ahmed, Jasim Uddin, Sakib Hossain and Bablu. Locals rescued them and admitted them to Noakhali General Hospital.
Maruf and Shanto were later transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Shanto said the group was travelling on three motorcycles and two CNG-run auto-rickshaws to record the ceremony when gunmen shot at them from behind. The victims suffered gunshot wounds to their heads, hands and backs.
Shanto claimed he recognised two attackers as local residents Harun and “Picchi” Riyad. He alleged that Riyad had accused him of being involved with Jamaat-Shibir and threatened to shoot him in the leg.
According to locals, the shooting stemmed from a long-standing dispute between Harun and an individual named Raihan, with Harun’s associates allegedly mistaking the ceremony for their rivals.
Abu Zayed, Ameer of Begumganj Upazila Jamaat-e-Islami, said three of the victims were Jamaat activists returning from a “Gaye Holud”. He attributed the incident to a previous feud between BNP’s follower Raihan and Harun.
Attempts to contact Harun and Picchi Riyad for comment were unsuccessful.
OC Shamsuzzaman said police have inspected the scene and are investigating the incident.
