The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the government to ensure the safety of its acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, who is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on December 25 after nearly 18 years abroad. The call came amid heightened political tension following a shooting attack on independent candidate Sharif Osman Hadi in Dhaka, which has stirred concerns about election-time violence.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, after meeting the chief adviser on December 13, said the attack on Hadi appeared to be the work of professional shooters and should not be dismissed as an isolated incident. He emphasized that all political leaders must be guaranteed safety and called for coordinated efforts by the government, law enforcement, and the public to prevent further violence.

Ahmed reaffirmed the party’s commitment to maintaining a united anti-fascist front and warned that such attacks would not derail Bangladesh’s democratic transition. Hadi remains in critical condition, with doctors describing his brain injury as life-threatening.