Who Is Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar? 42-Year-Old Senior NCP Leader Shot In Bangladesh Days After Youth Leader Hadi’s Killing
Bangladesh reported another incident of political violence on Monday, after Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, a senior leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), was shot in the head in Khulna. The attack took place near Gazi Medical College Hospital while Sikdar was overseeing preparations for a divisional labour rally.
He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital for emergency care and later moved to City Diagnostic Centre for a CT scan. Doctors have stated that Sikdar is now out of danger. Police have launched an investigation, but no information has yet been made public about the attackers or the motive behind the shooting.
Who is Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar?
Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, also referred to as Motaleb Shikder, is a 42-year-old politician who serves as the Khulna divisional chief of the National Citizen Party (NCP). He is also the central organiser of the party’s workers’ wing, Jatiya Sramik Shakti.
He is known for mobilising labour groups and coordinating the party’s organisational activities at the divisional level. At the time of the attack, Sikdar was actively involved in preparations for a labour rally, underlining his prominent role in party programmes.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Bangladesh, with an uptick in attacks targeting youth and student leaders. It also reflects the mounting pressures confronting newer political formations in the country.
The shooting occurred just days after the killing of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a key youth figure in Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising, whose death sparked widespread unrest nationwide. Hadi, 32, was a senior leader of the student-led platform Inqilab Mancha and a strong critic of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Following Hadi’s death, thousands of demonstrators poured onto the streets of Dhaka demanding justice. Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus described Hadi’s killing as an “irreparable loss for the nation” and announced a national day of mourning along with special prayers across the country.