Kibria killing part of broader attempt at obstructing election: Jubo Dal president

The killing of Jubo Dal leader Golam Kibria was part of a broader attempt to disrupt the upcoming election and destabilise the political environment, Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna said today (18 November).

Munna made the remarks at a views-exchange meeting on Jubo Dal's pre-elections preparation to assist BNP candidates, held at the Diploma Engineering Institute in Dhaka.

"Kibria's body has more than 10 bullet marks," he claimed, urging the administration to identify those involved through CCTV footage and bring them to justice without delay.

"The killing was carried out to obstruct the election. If the election is not held, the other side benefits. Those who know they cannot come to state power through votes are conspiring to turn Bangladesh into a failed state," he said.

Golam Kibria, member secretary of Jubo Dal's Pallabi unit, was shot dead in the Pallabi area of Dhaka yesterday (17 November).

CCTV footage from the hardware shop where he was attacked shows three helmet-wearing assailants entering the premises and firing seven shots at point-blank range, targeting his head, chest and back, before fleeing. Police investigation is ongoing.

Addressing activists today, Jubo Dal President Munna called for a determined grassroots campaign.

"To ensure victory for [BNP] candidates, politics must be conducted with generosity, not fear. In the upcoming election, we must go door-to-door, seek votes for the symbol, and return home only after ensuring victory," he said.

Jubo Dal General Secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam Nayan also alleged that the murder was premeditated and linked to a larger plan to delay the election.

"Discussions on the potential election date have not even begun, yet organised killings are already being carried out to create instability," he said.

Citing the timing, political context and the nature of the attack, Nayan said the murder could not be dismissed as a personal dispute.

"Looking at the video footage of how former student leader Golam Kibria was murdered, it is clear the incident was premeditated. We still do not know who committed this murder, but one circle clearly wants to delay the election and spoil the environment," he said.

He claimed that BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman has been issuing directives since 5 August to restore a normal election environment, but no election has been held in the country in the past 16 months.

Nayan added that the killing came just as discussions on a possible election date were beginning. He said that although fascism had fallen, the movement to establish a people-friendly government remained unfinished.

Other leaders at the meeting said that as the prospect of a transparent election emerges, attempts to create instability are rising, and the killing of Kibria is a warning sign.