Shots Fired at Journalist’s Moving SUV in Hathazari

A journalist and newspaper editor narrowly escaped an apparent attack when unidentified assailants hurled bricks at his SUV and opened fire on the vehicle in Hathazari, Chattogram, late on Tuesday night.

The incident involved SM Shahidullah Rony, former Chattogram bureau chief of Bijoy TV and the current publisher and editor of the daily Priyo Shomoy. Although Rony was not injured, the attack damaged his vehicle and has sparked concern in the area. Police have collected evidence from the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.

The attack took place at around midnight on Tuesday, 28 July, near Charabotola in Ichhapur Bazar under Mekhal Union on the Chattogram–Rangamati Regional Highway.

According to police and the victim, Rony was returning to his home in Raozan after completing business-related work in Chattogram city. He was driving his own SUV when he reached the Charabotola area. At that point, a group of assailants travelling on two motorcycles allegedly threw bricks and stones at the front of the vehicle in an apparent attempt to force it to stop.

Sensing danger, Rony switched off the vehicle’s headlights and stopped. The attackers then allegedly fired four rounds at the rear section of the SUV before fleeing the area on their motorcycles.

The sound of gunfire prompted local residents to rush towards the scene, but the attackers had already escaped. No one was injured in the incident. However, the impact of the brick-throwing damaged the vehicle’s windows, while the bullets reportedly pierced one side of the SUV and exited through the other.

Rony said he was driving the vehicle himself at the time of the attack and survived by lowering himself inside the car. He also claimed that he had been targeted in several attacks in recent times, alleging that a group had been threatening him over his brick-kiln business. According to him, his home and other properties had also been attacked in the past.

Rony is the son of veteran BNP leader SM Shafiullah of Wahedarkhil in Ward No. 9 of Raozan municipality. He previously served as the Chattogram bureau chief of Bijoy TV before becoming publisher and editor of Priyo Shomoy. He is also involved in brick-kiln businesses in Raozan and the property sector in Chattogram city.

The incident has raised questions about the motive behind the attack. While no definitive conclusion has yet been reached, police are examining whether the shooting was linked to an existing dispute, including possible business-related tensions or previous enmity.

Assistant Superintendent of Police of Hathazari Circle Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, along with officers from Hathazari Model Police Station and other relevant units, visited the scene after the incident. Investigators collected four spent bullet casings and other pieces of evidence from the area.

Kazi Md Tarek Aziz said police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and working to identify those responsible. He said the preliminary assessment suggested that the attack could have been planned and might have stemmed from previous hostility or a business dispute. However, investigators were examining all possible angles to establish the exact motive and identify those behind the incident.

Police have also taken a detailed statement from the victim, while preparations are under way for a formal written complaint. Authorities said efforts to identify and arrest those involved were continuing.

The attack, particularly the firing of multiple rounds at a vehicle travelling along a regional highway at night, has drawn attention to security concerns in the area. Investigators are expected to examine the evidence collected from the scene, the damaged vehicle and accounts from local witnesses as they work to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine whether the incident was part of a wider dispute.