Caught in the crossfire: Young mother gunned down at Pallabi in street attack

In a tragic incident in the Bauniabadh slum of Pallabi, Dhaka, police have arrested three men connected to the shooting death of a woman named Ayesha Akter. 

The arrests took place over the past three days during operations in Dhaka and nearby Gazipur.

The suspects are Mohammad Momin, 35, Al Islam, 25, and Nasiruddin, 28. Authorities say Momin leads a gang involved in extortion, and it was his group that shot Ayesha.

The police captured Momin on Thursday night in Gazipur, while Al Islam and Nasir were arrested in Pallabi the night before.

The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon when a group of 20-30 young men attacked a man named Mamun with sharp weapons. 

Some of the attackers were armed with guns. When local residents, including a few women, tried to help Mamun, the attackers fired shots, hitting Ayesha, who was nearby. Sadly, she died at the scene.

Later that night, Ayesha’s husband, Merajul Islam, filed a murder case at the Pallabi police station. 

He named 17 people in the complaint and mentioned that 8-10 others were also involved.

Police Officer Mohammad Nazrul Islam confirmed that Al Islam and Nasir are being held for questioning and have admitted to their roles in the incident. 

Momin is also linked to Ayesha’s death, and police plan to ask the court for a 10-day period to question him further.

Investigator Zillur Rahman said that Al Islam and Nasir claimed Mamun was a drug dealer and that Momin’s gang often demanded money from him. 

On the day of the shooting, there was an argument over this demand, and as Mamun‍‍`s friends came to help, Ayesha was watching from a window when the gunfire started.

Ayesha lived in Bauniabadh with her family. Her husband, Merajul, is a bus driver. 

When reached for comment, he said he is currently in Tipatal, Nandail, Mymensingh, with their two young sons, ages two and five. Ayesha has been buried in their village. 

Merajul shared how their youngest son keeps crying for his mother, and just yesterday, the older son woke up and said they should visit their mother’s grave.

Merajul expressed his grief, saying, “The killers have ruined my children’s future and our family. I want strong justice so that no one dares to do something like this again.”