Another Bangladeshi leader shot dead: What we know about the ‘mystery woman’ angle in latest political shooting

A mourner holds Bangladesh's national flag during the funeral of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi in Dhaka on December 20, 2025, after two days of violent protests over his killing. (Photo by Niamul RIFAT / AFP)

Bangladesh’s law and order situation has taken another disturbing turn with the shooting of National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, raising fresh questions about political violence and possible criminal undercurrents ahead of the February elections. The strange circumstances surrounding the attack, including reports of a mysterious female criminal linked to the scene, have added to the chaos engulfing the country after wide-ranging unrest triggered by the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

Motaleb, 42, the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and central organiser of its labour wing, was shot in the head by unidentified assailants on Monday around midday in the Sonadanga area of Khulna, police and party officials said. He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition. “The head of NCP’s Khulna division and central organiser of the NCP Sramik Shakti, Motaleb Shikdar, was shot a short while ago,” a party spokesperson confirmed on social media.

A mystery woman living in a nearby rented house has emerged as a possible thread in the investigation, according to Bangladeshi news portal jagonews24. Officials say the house, reportedly occupied by a couple, was searched after the shooting, and items including foreign liquor bottles and drug-related paraphernalia were recovered. Police said they are trying to identify the woman and establish her connection to the attack, though no official explanation has been released.

The incident occurred in broad daylight near a medical college, underscoring how lawlessness has spread far beyond Dhaka into other urban centres. It comes just days after the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, whose killing sparked nationwide protests and violence that have challenged the interim government’s claim of restoring order.

Critics say Bangladesh’s security apparatus is failing as the election approaches, with political killings and violent fragmentation becoming commonplace. The presence of a mystery woman tied to a location linked with the shooting deepens concerns that criminal networks and shadowy figures are exploiting political instability to pursue their own ends. Authorities have yet to clarify whether the motive was political rivalry, personal vendetta, criminal activity or a mixture of all three.

The continued violence, including the latest attack on Motaleb, paints a grim picture of a country where political conflict and criminality increasingly blur, and where ordinary citizens see leadership promises of law and order ring hollow. With no arrests announced and the identity of key suspects still unknown, Bangladesh’s voters face an atmosphere of fear rather than reassurance as polls draw closer.