A terrifying wave of violence swept through a crowded market in Noakhali’s Begumganj upazila, where a gang of masked armed criminals detonated crude bombs and opened indiscriminate gunfire. The sudden assault resulted in three individuals, including a school teacher, sustaining pellet injuries.
The frightening incident unfolded on Saturday night at approximately ten o’clock within the busy Bangla Bazar area under Jirtali union of the upazila. The brazen attack plunged the local trading hub into a state of panic, leaving residents and shopkeepers deeply shaken by the sudden display of lawlessness.
The victims identified in the shooting include fifty-six-year-old Rajibuzzaman, an assistant head teacher at the local Shamsunnahar High School, seventeen-year-old shop employee Md. Sakib, and eighteen-year-old Mohammad Nazim Uddin. All three victims suffered multiple pellet wounds across various parts of their bodies.
According to local accounts and eyewitness testimonies, a group of ten to twelve masked armed assailants emerged from the eastern alley of the market around half-past ten at night, making their way onto the Noakhali-Lakshmipur main highway. Upon reaching the area, the gang deliberately detonated several crude bombs to create terror and chaos. As panic spread through the vicinity, the criminals began firing indiscriminately. School teacher Rajibuzzaman, along with shop worker Sakib and young man Nazim, unfortunately crossed paths with the violence while moving along the road and were struck by the gunfire.
Md. Sumon, the brother-in-law of the injured teacher, stated that Rajibuzzaman sustained several pellet wounds to his back, arms, and chest. He is currently receiving medical treatment at home under family care. Meanwhile, local trader Saiful Islam recounted that the criminals even detonated two crude bombs directly in front of his shop while wearing concealing masks, before fleeing the scene while continuing to fire wildly.
Following the incident, two of the injured victims were rushed for urgent medical care. Dr. Rajib Uddin Chowdhury, the resident medical officer at the Noakhali 250-bed General Hospital, confirmed that Sakib and Nazim arrived at the hospital from Begumganj upazila with pellet injuries around one o’clock in the early hours. Both individuals were promptly admitted for hospital treatment.
Begumganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shamsuzzaman stated that three people were injured as a result of pellet and splinter impacts during the attack. Authorities have initiated efforts to identify the culprits involved in the incident. Police are communicating directly with the injured victims while pursuing active measures to track down and apprehend those responsible.
