Woman Shot and Hacked to Death on a Khulna Street; Police Cite a Drug-Related Feud
Attackers have shot and hacked to death a woman named Khushi, 25, in the Jinnapara area under Lobonchora Police Station in Khulna city. The killing, carried out on a public street, has spread panic across the neighbourhood.
The incident took place at around 6:45 pm on Thursday (22 October) in lane seven of Bou Bazar in Jinnapara. The deceased, Khushi, was the wife of local resident Sumon Sardar.
The attackers shot Khushi on the street and hacked her with sharp weapons, leaving her critically injured before fleeing. Local people rescued her and took her to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where the duty doctor declared her dead.
Lobonchora Police Station's officer-in-charge Syed Mosharef Hossain said the attackers shot and hacked Khushi on a Jinnapara street over a drug-related dispute. She died after being taken to hospital in an injured condition.
The OC also said the victim's husband, Sumon Sardar, is known in the area as 'Blade Babu'. Police say there are allegations of drug involvement against members of his family.
However, this initial police assessment is not final. The OC said who was involved in the killing is being investigated. Police were sent to the spot immediately after the incident, and the law-enforcement presence in the area has been increased.
The killing of a woman in this manner in a lane near a market during the busy evening hours has raised questions among local residents about safety. Ordinary people losing their lives in drug-centred disputes has long been a concern in the area.
Residents say disputes over the drug trade and dominance have become a major cause of violence in the region. In such feuds, family members of rivals are also being targeted, which is making the situation even more frightening.
Police say an investigation is under way to identify and arrest the killers. Information from around the scene and accounts from witnesses are being verified in an effort to bring those involved under the law.
The body is expected to be handed over to the family after the post-mortem and other legal procedures. Local people have demanded justice for the killing and effective steps to stop drug-centred violence in the area.
