Mitford murder sparks political storm as BNP on backfoot, Jamaat and NCP pounce

A gruesome daylight killing in Old Dhaka has reignited tensions in the country's fractured political landscape, with parties scrambling to weaponise the fallout ahead of a possible general election.

Political parties, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have accused the BNP and its youth wing, Jubo Dal, of harbouring criminals and allowing a culture of violence to fester under their watch. 

The BNP, in turn, has condemned the killing while seeking to distance itself from the perpetrators, insisting that opposition forces are using the incident to vilify the party ahead of elections.

The murder of 39-year-old trader Chand Mia, known locally as Sohag, near Mitford Hospital on Thursday was captured in graphic CCTV footage that swiftly spread across social media. The footage showed a group of men bludgeoning the lifeless body of the victim with concrete blocks in full public view.

Police have arrested five suspects, though they have not confirmed any political links.

About the murder, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General and Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidur Rahman today said, "We are conducting a shadow investigation into the incident while DMP's investigation unit is also handling the case."

Meanwhile, debate over election timing continues to loom large. The BNP wants the polls held by early 2026, while Jamaat and the NCP insist reforms must come first. The Mitford killing has only heightened this divide.

Jamaat, NCP seizes moment

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar in a statement alleged Sohag had refused to pay extortion money demanded by local Jubo Dal leaders. "If such a party assumes power, neither the nation nor its people can be safe," he warned, calling it a return of fascism.

The party's student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, claimed that more than 150 deaths had resulted from internal BNP disputes in recent years. It argued that political violence on such a scale made any notion of a free and fair election unrealistic.

Meanwhile, NCP Convenor Nahid Islam said the murder was a deliberate attempt to undermine the spirit of July Uprising. 

Addressing a rally in Satkhira, Nahid added, "The NCP has demanded reforms, justice, and a new constitution. Those who want to preserve the old system [extortion and violence] are mistaken if they think they can go back to the same politics after so much sacrifice."

Speaking at the rally, NCP Chief Coordinator (northern region) Sarjis Alam said, "In this very July, while we fight for justice, a parallel regime of extortionists and occupiers is trying to take hold," he alleged, stating, "People are being crushed with stones, and the perpetrators dance in joy atop corpses. This July, we declare war against all the corrupt and extortionists of Bangladesh."

Students protest

Echoing these sentiments, NCP's youth wing, Jatiya Juboshokti, called the murder "an attack on the national conscience". 

Convener Tarikul Islam said, "This is not just a killing – it is the collapse of morality in politics." He blamed Jubo Dal for perpetuating a cycle of fear and demanded strong police action before any meaningful election can be held.

"A glance at history shows that during the BNP regime, particularly from 2001 to 2006, student and youth wings were instrumentalized for violent 'grab-and-suppress' politics; what we see now is a continuation of that legacy," he added.

The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) held a torch procession in protest of the brutal killing. Earlier in the day, during a press conference in front of the National Museum, the organisation's president Rifat Rashid alleged that political backing is behind every killing, attack, and lawsuit in the country.

"These incidents are not happening without political shelter. We will not allow anyone to rise as a fascist force in Bangladesh again," he said.

University students also staged demonstrations in protest. Mehedi Sajib, a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, accused Jubo Dal of direct involvement. "We won't allow the BNP, Jamaat or anyone else to become another Awami League," he said. 

Students from several private universities, including NSU and Brac University, held protests today.

BNP tries damage control

The BNP was quick to condemn the killing and Jubo Dal expelled two of their leaders for life. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a statement rejecting the violence and insisting such actions had no place in BNP's ideology. 

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP leader, questioned the intention behind linking the entire party to the murder. "BNP is a large political family. Wrongdoers may sneak in, but we take immediate action," he said. 

"Why hasn't the Dhaka police commissioner acted decisively? Is this an excuse to criminalise the BNP?"

On Saturday, three of the BNP's affiliated wings – Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal – jointly accused the police of trying to cover up the case. 

Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna claimed that the First Information Report (FIR) deliberately excluded the real perpetrators, instead naming individuals with no link to the murder.

Speaking at the BNP's Nayapaltan headquarters, Munna blasted the authorities for failing to act despite clear video evidence. 

"Over 60 hours have passed, and the killers are still walking free. This isn't incompetence – it's complicity," he said. He warned of an orchestrated campaign to provoke unrest and portray BNP as a violent organisation in the lead-up to elections.

Other reactions

Reactions on social media have been sharp and divided. LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan wrote, "Welcome to the Stone Age. No one will learn from history – thank you." 

One commenter replied, "Days of fire await the BNP if it fails to rein in its goons." Another said, "From the Stone Age to the Age of the Sword – this is what happens when you glorify mob violence after the fall of one regime."

The Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee issued a statement blaming the government for enabling mob violence. It accused ruling party figures of protecting perpetrators and demanded the resignation of the Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs, citing total failure to uphold law and order.

However, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury defended the police, saying they had acted promptly. "Two suspects were arrested from the scene on the day of the incident," he said. "The next day, RAB apprehended two more individuals and recovered firearms."

"We've become somewhat intolerant. Even minor incidents are escalating into violent clashes. Everyone must come forward to stop this tendency," the adviser added.