BNP leader shot in Natore

Sayful Islam Aftab, a member of the BNP's Natore district committee, sustained critical injuries after being shot three times in front of his own residence in the district town on Sunday morning.

The incident took place around 6:00 am in the town's Station Road area. Family members blamed the activists of the Awami League for the shooting, while the latter rejected the blame.

The BNP called a dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country on Sunday, protesting the police attack on its grand rally in Dhaka.

According to witnesses and the police, Sayful was talking to his younger brother Aslam Hossain in front of their residence after the Fajr prayer at the nearby mosque.

All of a sudden, a group of people appeared on the scene on 10 to 12 motorbikes and attacked Sayful. They shot him in the back when he sensed the danger and tried to flee.

Later, family members rescued him and took him to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

His brother Aslam Hossain identified the attackers as loyalists of the ruling Awami League. He named one of them as Rashidul Islam, alias Koyel.

Shariful Islam, general secretary of the Awami League's district unit, said none of his party's members carried out the shooting. It might have been done by someone to tarnish the image of the Awami League.

Abul Kalam Azad, inspector of Natore Sadar Police Station, said they heard about the shooting, but did not have detailed information as no one lodged any complaint regarding the incident.