In Bangladesh leader's shooting, alcohol, Yaba drug, and a woman on the run

After Bangladeshi anti-India radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot on December 12, a leader affiliated to the Citizen's Party (NCP) was shot on Monday. Unlike Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries with police still unable to trace his shooter, NCP's Md Motaleb Sikder survived the attack and is now out of danger. As investigators unravel the mystery behind the shooting of Sikder, they have uncovered a trail marked by yaba (a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine), alcohol bottles, and other signs of illicit activity at the rented flat. Adding to the intrigue, Tanvi, the woman believed to be the leader's female companion, and in whose rented flat the shooting took place, has vanished.

Md Motaleb Sikder (also spelt Shikdar), the Khulna divisional head and central organiser of the Citizens Party (NCP)-affiliated labour wing Sramik Shakti, was shot in the head on Monday inside a rented ground-floor flat in Khulna. A bit like Osman Hadi, who was shot near one ear with the bullet exiting from the other side, Md Motaleb Sikder was also hit in the head near the ear. However, doctors said in Sikder's case, the bullet failed to penetrate the skull, sparing him from fatal injury.

According to police and doctors, the bullet grazed his left ear, cutting the scalp before exiting, and did not enter the skull, reported Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune. Doctors later said he was out of danger.

Md Motaleb Sikder was reportedly once active in Sramik League politics before aligning himself with the labour wing of the NCP after the government of PM Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024. The Sramik League, which is now banned, is a trade union connected to Hasina's Awami League.

Several NCP leaders, including Hasnat Abdullah, have been spreading venom against India, attempting to stir anti-India sentiments both before and after Osman Hadi's killing. After the public killing of Osman Hadi, followed by the shooting of Md Motaleb Sikder, questions have been raised about the law and order situation in Bangladesh and the regime of Muhammad Yunus. It has cast doubt on the possibility of the national elections promised by Yunus to be held in February.

SCENE OF SIKDER'S SHOOTING: BOOZE, CRAZY MEDICINE YABA, A BULLET SHELL AND A MISSING WOMAN

Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies recovered six alcohol bottles, drug paraphernalia and equipment used for yaba consumption from the flat where the shooting took place. A spent bullet shell was also found lodged in the ceiling, reported Dhaka Tribune.

Police said a party involving alcohol and drugs had taken place at the flat the night before the incident.

"Yaba, or crazy medicine in Thai, is a tablet form of methamphetamine, and a very powerful stimulant. It was introduced to East Asia during World War II to enhance soldiers' performance. Mixed with caffeine and usually 30% methamphetamine, the drug is a central nervous system stimulant. Although it comes in a pill form, yaba is usually crushed and smoked. Users get an intense burst of energy, followed by increased activity, decreased appetite and a general sense of well-being," says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

"Preliminary investigations suggest they were involved in antisocial activities here, and the incident arose from internal conflict," Dhaka-based news outlet, BD24 News, reported Khulna Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tajul Islam, as saying.

He added that others are involved and that further interrogation of Sikder would reveal additional names.

The woman, Tanvi, who rented the flat where the shooting incident took place, is missing.

The flat had been rented since November 1 by the young woman identified as Tanvi, who introduced a young man as her husband and claimed to be an NGO worker. Ashrafunnahar, wife of the house owner, revealed that strangers used to frequent the flat and the woman was involved in anti-social activities.

"A young woman named Tanvi, claiming to be married, rented the flat a month ago. She introduced herself as an NGO worker and often stayed out. Many men frequently visited her room. Upon learning about her anti-social activities through others, we issued a notice to vacate the flat. This incident happened before she could leave," BD24 News, quoted the flat-owner's wife, Ashrafunnahar, as saying.

After the shooting, Tanvi reportedly locked the flat and went into hiding. Police say efforts are underway to locate her.

NCP LEADER MD MOTALEB SIKDER'S SHADY PAST, AND PARTY'S PUSHBACK

Police sources told the Dhaka Tribune that investigators are probing whether the shooting stemmed from an internal dispute, including a possible extortion money distribution issue.

Sikder allegedly had past associations with criminal elements in Khulna. The sources said that he was allegedly involved in extortion activities with people linked to a known criminal in Khulna.

The police are now probing whether the shooting resulted from a dispute over distribution of extortion money.

The police also said that Sikder initially gave misleading information to police, claiming he was shot from the street. However, the CCTV footage contradicted that version. Footage showed Sikder leaving the rented house, covering his ears and assisted by an associate, before being taken by rickshaw to Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Investigators then traced the incident back to the flat using CCTV footage, where they found the trail of booze, drugs, paraphernalia, and information about Tanvi, who is now missing.

NCP leaders have rejected police findings, alleging political motives.

NCP Khulna Metropolitan organiser Ahmed Hameem Rahat claimed Sikder was shot in Sonadanga and accused Awami League-linked groups of violence.

District Chief Coordinator Mafuzul Hasan Faizullah alleged Sikder was dragged from his car and shot. These claims, the police said, were not supported by evidence so far.

Whatever the findings of Sikder's shooting might be, and whatever the truth turns out to be, and whatever evidence comes to light, it is likely to show the involvement of criminals within the anti-India radical NCP party. The trail of illegal substances, including booze, drug accessories, and yaba, combined with the mystery surrounding the missing woman, will, once she is found, help in painting a clearer and more complete picture of the situation.

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