Chuadanga: A local leader of Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was stabbed near a mosque in Iswarchandrapur village, Darshana upazila, allegedly by supporters of the Awami League on Sunday night. The victim, Ripon Hossain, aged 45, is a leader of the Darshana Municipality unit of Jubo Dal and the son of the late Mannan from Iswarchandrapur village.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Ripon's family has accused several Awami League supporters of orchestrating the attack. Locals found Ripon in a severely injured state and initially took him to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Mohammad Habibur Rahman Bullet, the chief coordinator of Darshana BNP, condemned the incident and demanded immediate action against the alleged attackers.
Following the attack, BNP and its allied organisations staged a protest in Darshana town after Taraweeh prayers, demanding justice for Ripon. A case was filed by Ripon's brother at the Darshana Police Station on Sunday night, citing prior enmity as the motive and identifying the suspects as supporters of the Awami League. The case highlighted previous political tensions, especially related to the national election.
The accused, identified as Awami League activists Hasem, 56, and Khairul Kamri, 45, have been linked to prior disputes with Ripon over their support for candidates from Jamaat-e-Islami. Attempts to reach the alleged attackers for comments were unsuccessful. Medical reports from Dr. Sohran Hossain of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital indicated that Ripon suffered multiple deep cuts from sharp weapons, necessitating his transfer to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Darshana Police Inspector (Investigation) Himel Rana reported that several police teams are actively pursuing the arrest of the suspects. In response to the growing tension in the area, police have increased patrols to ensure law and order.