Protests In Cumilla After Schoolboy Shot By Drug Traffickers

A massive human-chain protest was staged in the Katabil area of Cumilla city on Sunday to protest against the brutal shooting of a local schoolboy, Ethan Ahmed Prem. Organised under the banner of the Anti-Drug Alliance, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at noon to demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the incident. The shooting has sparked widespread public outrage across the city, as the victim currently fights for his life at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Medical sources confirmed that the bullet entered through his back and is currently lodged in his lung, leaving his condition highly critical.

The protest drew a diverse crowd, including college, university, and madrasah students, alongside leaders and activists from major political organisations such as the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Hefazat-e-Islam. Concerned citizens from all walks of life also joined the demonstration to voice their solidarity against the growing menace of drug-related violence in the district.

Political Patronage of Illicit Trade Condemned

Saifur Rahman Sagar, the editor of Face the People, attended the event as the chief guest. Addressing the crowd, Sagar delivered an ultimatum to local law enforcement, demanding the arrest of the perpetrators within the next three days. “The message is singular: narcotics and drug traffickers must be permanently expelled from Cumilla,” Sagar asserted. He added that the illicit drug trade would no longer be tolerated under any political coverage, noting that the public can no longer be misled by hollow political rhetoric. He emphasised that communities are now prepared to build grassroots social movements to protect themselves.

The demonstration was presided over by Abdus Samad, the president of the Anti-Drug Alliance. Other prominent speakers included Shahzada Emran, editor of Cumilla Zamin and general secretary of the Citizens’ Rights Forum, and Abu Raihan, the former convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Cumilla. Student leaders Ishan, Yasin, Impa, and Jannat also addressed the gathering, demanding swift administrative intervention.

Terrifying Roots of the Conflict

Local investigations revealed that the Katabil area has long been a flashpoint for violent turf wars over drug distribution, extortion, and territorial dominance between two rival gangs led by local miscreants Sabbir and Apu. On Thursday afternoon, these two factions clashed violently, engaging in a chaotic gunfight. Prem was caught in the crossfire whilst walking home from school. Shockingly, family members and neighbours alleged that the shooting may have been intentional. Prem had participated in an anti-drug awareness rally earlier that morning, which reportedly angered the local syndicates.

Following the shooting, the victim’s father, Yunus Mian, filed a formal police case naming six individuals, including the gang ringleaders Sabbir and Apu. However, the principal suspects remain at large. Commenting on the situation, Member of Parliament Monirul Haque Chowdhury strongly condemned the attack and issued an explicit ultimatum to the police administration, demanding the swift apprehension of the criminals to prevent further civil unrest in the city.