DHAKA: Gunmen on motorbikes attacked a Bangladesh political rally, killing one person and wounding two others, including a candidate, officials said on Thursday, after parties began campaigning for landmark elections.
Major parties opened their campaigns on Wednesday for the elections slated for February 2026, the first since a deadly uprising last year toppled the autocratic government of former ruler Sheikh Hasina.
Campaigning turned violent almost immediately.
The shooting took place at a rally on Wednesday for the powerful Bangladesh National Party (BNP) attended by hundreds in the port city of Chattogram, police said.
Senior BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “It was an attempt to destabilise politics and disrupt the election”.
The BNP are widely seen as the frontrunner in the polls.
Police said the gunmen opened fire quickly on a crowd of hundreds at the rally but insisted that the BNP candidate was not the target.
Candidate Ershad Ullah was shot and wounded, along with a supporter. A third man was killed.
“We would urge candidates to inform the police station at least 24 hours prior to any election campaign, so that more police can be deployed,” Aziz said. – AFP
