A local political leader has sustained severe injuries following a targeted assault in the Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district, intensifying local tensions. The incident unfolded around 6:30 PM on Saturday at the busy Chourasta intersection within the Baliyatali union.
The victim has been identified as sixty-seven-year-old Shah Alam Mollah, who serves as the president of the Baliyatali union’s Ward 3 Awami League committee. According to accounts provided by the victim and his family members, the assailants utilized a heavy wooden log to bludgeon him, fracturing his right ankle. He also suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to his head and various parts of his body during the altercation.
Family members explained that the attack occurred while the victim was running errands for a domestic religious observance. Runa Begum, the victim’s daughter-in-law, noted that Sunday marked the death anniversary of a family member, prompting preparations for a prayer and milad gathering at their residence. In order to purchase necessary supplies for the event, Shah Alam Mollah travelled to the Baliyatali Chourasta market.
Upon his arrival at the market square, a group of seven to eight individuals—whom the family identified as local Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists Rumman, Tauhid, and Din Islam—reportedly intercepted him. Runa Begum alleged that the group subjected him to a physical thrashing before using a heavy log to shatter his right ankle. Furthermore, she claimed that the perpetrators operate under the local leadership of Baliyatali Union BNP President Mujibur Rahman.
However, Mujibur Rahman has issued a firm denial, distancing himself and his supporters from the violence. Asserting that none of his associates were involved in the assault, he maintained that he had no knowledge of the perpetrators’ identities and suggested that the allegations against him were politically motivated attempts to gain leverage.
Following the assault, emergency responders transported Shah Alam Mollah to the Kalapara Upazila Health Complex for urgent medical evaluation. Dr Poli Saha, a medical officer at the facility, reported that the patient presented with widespread physical trauma and head injuries, alongside a critical fracture to his right leg. Because of the severity of the trauma to his ankle, medical staff quickly arranged for his transfer to the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for specialized treatment.
Local law enforcement agencies have responded to the incident to maintain public order. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nazrul Islam of Kalapara Police Station confirmed that police personnel were dispatched to check on the wounded leader shortly after the attack was reported. Authorities have stated that a formal investigation and subsequent legal measures will commence once the victim’s family submits a written complaint detailing the incident.
