Ex-DU Student and Chhatra League Activist Akib Fears for Family Safety Amidst Targeted Attacks

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Shihab Shahriar Akib, a former student of Dhaka University (DU) and a former activist of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), is living in extreme anxiety and fear for his life following a series of attacks, vandalism, and extortion attempts targeted at him and his family. The violent escalation reportedly began after the political transition in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. Although Akib has since left the country, his family remaining in Bangladesh continues to live in constant insecurity.

According to family and local sources, Akib enrolled in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Dhaka University in 2017. During his university years, he was actively involved in BCL politics under the Jatiratna Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall unit. He actively campaigned for the BCL-backed panel during the 2019 Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections. Furthermore, starting in November 2023, Akib served as an election campaign manager for A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury, the former Awami League Member of Parliament for the Chattogram-6 constituency. Sources indicate that this past political involvement has made him and his family primary targets.

Reports state that on the evening of August 5, 2024—the day of the Awami League government's fall—an armed group launched an attack on Akib’s family residence at Century Housing Society in North Khulshi, Chattogram. The attackers severed the power supply before breaking down the main entrance with hammers. Once inside, they brutally assaulted Akib’s uncle, aunt, and cousins, causing extensive damage to the property. In an affidavit, Akib identified local Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shah Abdul Jabbar and BNP activist Muslim Uddin as direct participants in the assault.

Fearing for his safety during the attack, Akib fled through a back door and sought refuge at his father’s house in Cumilla, remaining in hiding to avoid potential arrest before eventually departing the country. However, the harassment of his family persisted. Local BNP figures allegedly targeted his father's business, "Bhola Agro Farm," in Cumilla on multiple occasions. To protect his family and control the situation, Akib was forced to transfer around BDT 1,000,000 across two installments in December 2024 and September 2025. Additionally, heavy pressure and extortion demands were made against Akib and his business partner to force them to surrender "Migrello," an international student recruitment firm.

This incident aligns with broader reports following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in 2024, which saw widespread looting, vandalism, and arson targeting Awami League supporters, party members, and pro-liberation figures nationwide. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has publicly claimed that nearly 20 million supporters and activists were impacted, with around 10,000 fatalities, alongside attacks on historic landmarks like the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 and residences of freedom fighters across the country.

Akib fears that returning to Bangladesh would leave him vulnerable to unlawful detention, false charges, and severe physical violence. Having experienced relentless persecution even after fleeing from Chattogram to Cumilla, he believes hiding anywhere within the country is no longer viable. Consequently, the ongoing political hostility has brought the normal lives of Akib and his family to a complete standstill.