Hasan Molla, the general secretary of the Hazratpur Union unit of BNP, passed away on Saturday afternoon while undergoing treatment for gunshot wounds. He breathed his last at approximately 3pm at Holy Family Hospital.
His younger brother, Rakib Hossain, confirmed the death, noting that Molla had been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Holy Family Hospital following surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Molla, 50, held a key leadership position in the Keraniganj Model Upazila BNP, a fact corroborated by his brother-in-law, Nazim Uddin, who serves as the vice president of the same unit.
The BNP leader was shot last Thursday night at around 9pm in front of the Ward 9 BNP office in Jagannathpur village. According to eyewitnesses, a group of miscreants arriving on a motorcycle fired three to four rounds at Molla.
One bullet hit him in the chest, after which the assailants quickly fled the scene.
M Saiful Alam, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Keraniganj Model Police Station, stated that the investigation is being treated with the utmost importance. He mentioned that according to police information, Molla was targeted in the Dhali Kandi area while returning from a Waz (religious sermon).
In the aftermath of the attack, BNP activists and members of its affiliate organisations staged a protest march in Jagannathpur, demanding the immediate arrest of those involved.
This incident follows a troubling spate of targeted shootings against BNP leaders across the country. On 8 January, Md Azizur Rahman Mosabbir, the former general secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan North Swechasebak Dal, was killed in West Tejturi Para.
On 3 January, Alamgir Hossain, the joint general secretary of Ward No 7 BNP in Jashore Municipality, was shot dead, while Golam Kibria, the member secretary of Pallabi Thana Jubo Dal, lost his life in a similar attack on 20 November last year.
