The bustling commercial heart of Khulna city was plunged into chaos and grief on Wednesday night, 4 March 2026, as a former prominent labour leader was executed in a clinical and barbaric fashion. Meena Masum Billah, the former President of the Rupsha-Bagerhat Inter-district Road Transport Workers’ Union, was murdered in the presence of his young daughter while the two were shopping for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festivities.
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A Cold-Blooded Execution
The incident occurred at approximately 21:00 at the high-traffic ‘Bata’ showroom in the Dakbangla area. According to eyewitness accounts and police reports, a group of seven armed assailants stormed the shop, singling out Billah amidst the holiday shoppers. The attackers initially opened fire, and as Billah collapsed from gunshot wounds, the gang proceeded to hack his body repeatedly with sharp weapons to ensure his death.
The victim was the brother of the late Meena Kamal, a former Union Parishad Chairman famously known by the alias ‘Fatakeshto’. Billah was also known to be affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Incident Summary and Law Enforcement Response
| Detail | Information |
| Date & Time | Wednesday, 4 March 2026; 21:00 |
| Location | Bata Showroom, Dakbangla Crossroad, Khulna |
| Victim | Meena Masum Billah (Former Labour Leader) |
| Method of Killing | Gunshot wounds followed by sharp-weapon trauma |
| Assailants | 7 individuals (1 apprehended by the public) |
| Suspect Detained | Ashok Ghosh (Caught with a foreign-made pistol) |
Public Retribution and Military Intervention
Following the assassination, the assailants attempted to flee the scene. However, an enraged crowd managed to intercept one of the suspects, identified as Ashok Ghosh. The public’s attempt to administer vigilante justice created a volatile standoff. When local police found themselves unable to disperse the agitated mob, a contingent of the Bangladesh Army was deployed to secure the perimeter.
The military successfully cleared the thoroughfare and took Ashok Ghosh into custody, recovering a foreign-made pistol from his possession. Meanwhile, Billah was rushed to the emergency department of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), where attending physicians pronounced him dead on arrival.
Motive and Investigation
The Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), Mohammad Tajul Islam, confirmed that the murder appears to be a “pre-planned assassination.” Detectives are currently exploring several investigative avenues, including:
Intra-Union Rivalry: Disputes within the transport workers’ union.
Political Vendetta: Potential targeting due to his BNP affiliations.
Historical Feuds: Lingering animosity related to his late brother’s influence in the region.
As the city of Khulna mourns, the commercial district remains under heavy security, with many shopkeepers closing their doors early in fear of further reprisal. The KMP has launched a city-wide manhunt to apprehend the remaining six suspects.