Gun Violence Surge in Khulna: Nine Gangs, 71 Deaths in Ten Months

Khulna recorded 71 killings over roughly ten months as nine criminal gangs continued operating across the city and district, according to late-October reporting. Firearms are increasingly part of everyday crime, deployed not only in targeted killings but also in muggings and home invasions. A recent shooting in Batiaghata upazila, in which a former political activist was injured, reflects a wider pattern that law enforcement is still working to contain.

Nine Active Gangs, 71 Deaths in Ten Months

From January to 23 October 2026, 71 people were killed in Khulna city and district over a period of nearly ten months, according to a Prothom Alo English report. Of those killed, 23 died from gunshot wounds. The remainder were killed by hacking or beating, with methods ranging from public shootings to assailants entering residential homes and opening fire. A total of 69 murder cases were registered in connection with these deaths during the period. Nine criminal gangs are reported to be currently active in Khulna city and district. The sustained pace of violence has not been significantly reduced across the period, raising serious concern among local residents, community organizations, and civil society groups focused on crime prevention. Law enforcement has not yet dismantled the organized criminal networks driving the killings. The pattern shows that gang activity extends beyond inter-factional disputes: ordinary residents also face the threat of armed robbery in which firearms are deployed. Incidents are reported from a variety of locations and circumstances, suggesting criminal activity is distributed across the city and district rather than confined to specific hotspots. The October data places Khulna on a trajectory toward one of its most violent years in recent memory, with no clear evidence of a reversal in the underlying conditions enabling gang operations. [3]

Former JCD Leader Shot by Motorcycle-Borne Assailants in Batiaghata

A former leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was seriously injured in a late-night shooting in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna. The victim, Sohel Sheikh, 36, had served as the former president of the Amirpur union unit of JCD and was at the time of the attack an activist with Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal. The shooting took place around 12:30 am in front of Baro Karia Government Primary School. According to local residents, unidentified assailants arrived at the scene on two motorcycles and opened fire at Sheikh while he sat on his own motorcycle. Sheikh sustained gunshot wounds to his right hand and to the right side of his abdomen. Local residents transported him to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where attending physicians referred him for specialized treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Officer-in-Charge of Batiaghata Police Station, Rahman Sharif, confirmed that officers visited the scene and recovered a spent pistol cartridge from the site. Police said they were working to identify and apprehend those involved, though no arrests had been reported at the time of publication. The incident is one of multiple shootings recorded in Khulna district in October 2026 and reflects the broader pattern of armed violence documented across the city and its outskirts. [6]

Sources: [3] Prothom Alo English · [6] The Financial Express