Asif Akbar files case himself over shooting at his car; police work through CCTV footage to identify the gunman

Singer Asif Akbar has filed a case himself as the plaintiff over the shooting at his personal car, naming an unidentified person as the accused. The case was filed at Hatirjheel police station on Saturday night, October 24.

On Sunday afternoon, October 25, Hatirjheel police station's officer-in-charge Asaduzzaman said CCTV footage from the surrounding area was being collected in an effort to identify the attacker. Investigators are also examining whether any personal, political or other dispute lies behind the incident.

Earlier, at around 4:50 to 5:30 on Saturday dawn, shots were fired at Asif's car, which was parked on the footpath in front of Bishal Center market beside the Wireless-bound road in Moghbazar in the capital.

According to CCTV footage, an unidentified man got down from a CNG-run auto-rickshaw coming from Moghbazar and fired one round at the rear right-side window glass of Asif's car. Immediately after firing, the attacker got back into the auto-rickshaw and fled towards Malibagh.

Asif Akbar was not in the car at the time. He was then at his personal office, his studio, on the third floor of Bishal Center. The car's driver was also not there at the time, so there were no casualties.

The bullet shattered the car's window glass, causing an estimated 20,000 taka in damage, according to the case information.

Asif Akbar said the attackers probably knew the time he usually leaves his office and targeted him on that basis. However, because he was delayed in coming down from the office while talking on the phone with his son, he was miraculously saved.

He also said he does not personally suspect anyone, leaving the motive for the attack and the identity of the gunman still unknown.

Police say analysing the collected CCTV footage to identify the auto-rickshaw and the gunman is now the main task of the investigation, alongside exploring whether the attack stemmed from a personal, political or any other dispute.

With the filing of the case, the incident has now formally entered the investigation stage. If the attacker is identified, his motive may also become clear; until then, speculation around the pre-dawn shooting is unlikely to subside.