Five people, including an 18-month-old girl and two Rohingya refugees, were shot when unidentified gunmen opened fire on BNP election campaign vehicle in Teknaf.
The shooting took place between 7:30pm and 8:30pm in the Alikhali area of Hnila union, in front of Alikhali No. 25 Rohingya camp. Witnesses said a crowd had gathered around a dumper truck campaigning for the sheaf of paddy symbol when a group of assailants opened fire indiscriminately.
The injured were identified as Nusrat Jannat Rafi (18 months), Shahab Uddin (11), Mohammad Jishan (13), Abdur Rahman (37) and Bachcha Mia (45). Nusrat was shot in the back while in her mother’s arms at the doorstep of their home, while Bachcha Mia was hit while working at a nearby wedding venue.
The victims were first taken to Alikhali IRC Hospital and an International Organization for Migration hospital before being shifted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital as their conditions deteriorated. Hospital sources said Bachcha Mia remains in a critical condition.
Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam and 16th Armed Police Battalion Commanding Officer Mohammad Kawsar Sikdar confirmed the incident, saying an investigation is under way. No arrests have been made so far, and the attackers remain unidentified, they added.
The incident has triggered panic among local residents in the area.
