Mystery Gunshot at Asif Akbar’s Car in Moghbazar Prompts Formal Case as Probe Continues

In the pre-dawn quiet of Dhaka's Moghbazar neighbourhood, a single gunshot shattered more than glass early on Saturday, October 24. Popular singer and former Bangladesh Cricket Board director Asif Akbar later filed a formal case after discovering that his parked private car had been targeted outside Bishal Centre, where he maintains an office.

The incident unfolded around 4:50 a.m. Akbar was inside the building on an upper floor at the time. Neither he nor his driver was near the vehicle. A man arrived by CNG-powered auto-rickshaw, stepped out, fired once at the rear right-side window of the car, and then fled in the same vehicle toward Malibagh. The shot broke the glass but caused no injuries.

Akbar has said he heard a loud noise from outside, went downstairs, and found the damaged window. After reviewing CCTV footage from the premises, he observed the sequence of the attack. Police later recovered a bullet fragment from the scene. In the complaint lodged that night at Hatirjheel Police Station, Akbar estimated the damage at roughly Tk 20,000 and named unidentified persons as accused. He has indicated that he believes he was the intended target rather than a random victim of vandalism.

Investigators from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Tejgaon Division have collected CCTV recordings from the parking area and nearby buildings. Available footage so far provides only limited views of the shooter—one clip shows mainly the lower half of his body. Authorities have not yet identified the gunman or established a clear motive. Officials have stated that the recordings continue to be examined, and no major breakthrough has been reported in the days since the filing.

The case remains active, with both local police and other law-enforcement units involved. For Akbar, the episode adds an unsettling layer to an already public life. As a well-known figure in Bangladesh's music scene and someone who has previously held a position with the cricket board, he is no stranger to public attention. The early-morning timing, the use of a common local transport like a CNG auto-rickshaw, and the decision to fire at a stationary car rather than confront anyone directly have left investigators weighing several possibilities, including a targeted message, a personal dispute, or an opportunistic act whose full context is still unknown.

Friends and associates in the entertainment community have expressed concern over the safety of artists who often keep late or irregular hours. While no immediate arrests have been made, the recovery of physical evidence—the bullet fragment—and the existence of multiple camera angles give police concrete material to work with. Akbar completed the necessary formalities with police and has cooperated with the inquiry.

In a city where security incidents involving public figures occasionally surface, the Moghbazar shooting stands out for its precision and lack of immediate casualties. The broken window, the empty car, and the quick departure of the assailant have turned what might have been dismissed as random damage into a documented criminal case. As the investigation proceeds, the focus remains on identifying the person who stepped out of the auto-rickshaw that morning and on determining whether the shot was meant for the car alone or for the man whose name is now attached to the complaint.