On February 24, 2025, a scuffle at Cox’s Bazar by the Bangladesh Air Force base turned violent, reportedly killing one person and injuring several others. The attack unfolded in noon when air force men clashed with a motorcyclist who had not put on his crash helmet. The situation escalated when the motorcyclist’s family members and neighbors from the adjacent Samiti Para area intervened, resulting in an attack on the Air Force base. Soldiers, in turn, fired to scatter the crowd.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement, certified by Assistant Director Ayesha Siddiqua, terming the attackers as “miscreants” and confirming that the BAF is ensuring necessary actions to deal with the situation.
District Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin confirmed the number of deaths, adding, “One person has been killed and several others injured in the incident.”
He underlined that the reason behind the clash would be examined through talks with both sides to find out the right thing to do.
Saiful Islam, who manages the Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital police box, acknowledged the victim as Shihab Kabir, a 30-year-old local trader and son of Nasir Uddin from Samiti Para.
The development comes during a season of political turmoil in Bangladesh. After the violent ouster of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, an unelected controversial figure identified as Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus heads so-called interim administration. The government has instituted “Operation Devil Hunt,” a countrywide operation launched on February 8 that has seen more than 8,000 people arrested.
Opposition members, such as those in Hasina’s Awami League party, have pointed out that the operation is disproportionately targeting their supporters.
However, in a late-night press briefing, Home Adviser Lt. Gen. (Ret.) M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury claimed that the government stood firm on sustaining law and order. He pinned the blame on supporters of overthrown Awami League regime elements and brazenly accusing them of trying to destabilize Bangladesh and assured such elements “will in no way be spared.”
Chowdhury said, “We will take measures so terrorists cannot stand anywhere and stop crimes at any cost.”
Security agencies have since sealed off the area around the BAF base to avert further escalation and safeguard residents. The investigation is on to establish the sequence of events and the individuals responsible for the violence.