Bangladeshi singer Asif Akbar said he believed he was the intended target after a gunman fired at his parked car in the capital's Moghbazar area early on Saturday. He was unharmed because he was not inside the vehicle at the time.
The shooting occurred at around 4:45 am on October 24, when an unidentified person fired at the car parked in front of Vishal Centre in Moghbazar. No casualties were reported.
Speaking about the incident on Saturday afternoon, Asif said he was doing well. After completing formalities with police in the morning, he returned home, took medication and slept. Senior police officials later visited his residence to discuss the incident.
The singer said the attackers might have tracked his daily routine. He usually goes to his office between 8 pm and 8:30 pm and returns home either before or after the Fajr prayer.
He was inside his office when the shooting took place and learned about it after checking CCTV footage. He said he had not heard the gunshot.
Asif said the attackers appeared to know when he arrived at and left his office, suggesting they might have planned the shooting around his movements. He did not identify anyone as a suspect or establish a possible motive.
He added that he had been about to go downstairs shortly after the shooting and feared the consequences could have been different had he been near the car.
The singer said he was unsure whether the incident stemmed from personal disputes, enmity or other reasons.
Md. Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Hatirjheel Police Station, confirmed that shots had been fired at Asif's car outside Vishal Centre in the early hours of Saturday. He said no one was injured.
According to police, an unidentified person arrived in a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw at around 4:45 am and fired at the parked vehicle. After receiving a call through the national emergency service number 999, police went to the scene and recovered a bullet cartridge from inside the car after opening its rear window.
Police have yet to identify the shooter or establish the motive and are investigating the incident.
FP/A
