Alcohol, Yaba drugs found in Bangladesh NCP leader shooting case; woman who rented flat missing

Bangladeshi investigators probing the shooting of Md Motaleb Sikder, a leader of the National Citizen's Party (NCP), have uncovered alcohol bottles, drug paraphernalia and Yaba tablets at the rented flat where the attack took place. Police are also searching for a woman named Tanvi, who had leased the apartment and has since gone missing.

Sikder, the Khulna divisional head and central organiser of the NCP-affiliated labour wing Sramik Shakti, was shot near his ear inside a ground-floor flat in Khulna on Monday. Doctors confirmed that the bullet grazed his scalp without penetrating the skull, and he is now out of danger.

Drugs, alcohol and bullet shell recovered

According to Bangladeshi media reports and police officials, law enforcement recovered six bottles of alcohol, equipment used for consuming Yaba — a methamphetamine-based stimulant — and a spent bullet shell lodged in the ceiling of the flat.

Investigators believe a gathering involving alcohol and drugs took place at the location the night before the shooting. Preliminary findings suggest the incident may have stemmed from an internal dispute linked to antisocial activities rather than a politically motivated attack.

Yaba, often referred to as “crazy medicine,” is a potent combination of methamphetamine and caffeine and is widely abused in parts of South and Southeast Asia.

Woman who rented flat goes missing

The flat was rented on November 1 by a young woman identified as Tanvi, who introduced a man as her husband and claimed to work for an NGO, according to the property owner’s family. Locals told police that strangers frequently visited the apartment, raising suspicions of illicit activity.

After the shooting, Tanvi reportedly locked the flat and disappeared. Police say efforts are underway to trace her, as her testimony could be crucial to reconstructing events leading up to the attack.

Conflicting claims and criminal angle

CCTV footage contradicted Sikder’s initial claim that he was shot from the street. Video evidence reportedly shows him exiting the house injured and being taken to hospital by rickshaw, prompting investigators to refocus on the flat as the crime scene.

Police are also examining Sikder’s alleged past links to criminal networks in Khulna, including possible involvement in extortion rackets. Investigators are probing whether the shooting was triggered by a dispute over money distribution.

The NCP, however, has rejected the police narrative. Party leaders have alleged that Sikder was targeted by rival political groups linked to the Awami League, claims authorities say are not supported by evidence so far.

Law and order concerns grow

The shooting follows the recent killing of anti-India radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi, intensifying concerns over law and order in Bangladesh under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

Investigators say further questioning of Sikder and the recovery of the missing woman could clarify whether the attack was rooted in criminal rivalry, internal conflict, or broader political instability.