A brutal daylight murder in Old Dhaka has reignited deep political fault lines, with rival parties scrambling to capitalise on the fallout as the country edges closer to a possible general election.

Police have so far arrested five suspects in connection with the killing of 39-year-old trader Chand Mia, locally known as Sohag, near Mitford Hospital on Thursday. Graphic CCTV footage that went viral showed the victim being bludgeoned with concrete blocks in broad daylight, sending shockwaves across the country.

While investigators have yet to confirm any political affiliation, the murder has already triggered an intense blame game. Opposition forces, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami and the Nationalist Conservative Party (NCP), have accused the BNP and its youth wing, Jubo Dal, of harbouring criminal elements and fostering a culture of violence.

The BNP, meanwhile, has condemned the killing and sought to distance itself from the suspects, claiming the government and law enforcement are weaponising the incident to discredit the party ahead of polls.

In a statement, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar alleged that Sohag was targeted after refusing to pay extortion money demanded by local Jubo Dal leaders. “If such a party comes to power, neither the nation nor its people will be safe. This is a return of fascism,” he warned.

Jamaat’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, claimed that more than 150 people have died in recent years due to internal BNP feuds. It argued that the level of political violence makes a credible election impossible under the current circumstances.

Echoing Jamaat, the NCP’s youth front, Jatiya Juboshokti, termed the killing “an attack on the national conscience.”

Addressing a gathering at Banglamotor, Juboshokti Convener Tarikul Islam said, “This is not just a murder – it is the collapse of morality in our politics. We demand strong police action before any meaningful election can take place.”

“A look at history shows that from 2001 to 2006, during the BNP regime, its student and youth wings were used for violent politics. What we see today is the continuation of that legacy,” he added.

The killing has also sparked protests among students at several universities. Mehedi Sajib, former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, directly accused Jubo Dal of involvement. “We won’t allow the BNP, Jamaat, or anyone else to become another Awami League,” he said.

Students from North South University, BRAC University and other private institutions also staged demonstrations demanding swift justice.

The BNP leadership moved quickly to contain the damage. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the murder outright, saying such violence has no place in the party’s ideology.

Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi questioned the narrative linking the entire party to the crime. BNP is a large political family bad actors can infiltrate, but we take action immediately, he said. Why hasn’t the Dhaka police commissioner acted decisively? Is this being used to criminalise us before the polls?

On Saturday, three affiliated wings Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal jointly alleged that the First Information Report (FIR) had deliberately omitted the actual perpetrators.

Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna said, “Over 60 hours have passed, the killers are still at large. This is not incompetence this is complicity. The authorities are trying to provoke unrest and label us violent.

The killing has divided opinion online. LGRD adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan wrote, Welcome to the Stone Age. No one learns from history. One commenter warned, Days of fire await the BNP if it fails to rein in its goons.

Meanwhile, the Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee blamed the government for failing to stop mob violence and demanded the resignation of the Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury defended law enforcement, saying two suspects were arrested at the scene, with two more caught by RAB the next day along with firearms.

We have become intolerant as a society. Minor incidents escalate into violence. Everyone must step forward to stop this culture, he said.

With debate over election timing still unresolved the BNP wants polls by early 2026, while Jamaat and NCP insist on reforms first the Mitford killing has only deepened the divide in an already volatile political landscape.

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