Unidentified assailants have attacked renowned international journalist, political analyst, and member of the Central Relief and Social Welfare Sub-Committee of the Awami League, Farzana Binte Hossain (also known as Farzana Shova), and her family. The incident took place on Tuesday evening in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar area.

Farzana’s husband, Md. Mizanur Rahman Khan, stated that ever since the mass uprising on August 5, there had been widespread unrest across the capital. Groups of unknown young men, armed with local weapons, sticks, knives, and machetes, were repeatedly seen marching in front of their residence. These individuals even hurled abusive language using Farzana Binte Hossain’s name and looted construction materials like bricks and cement that had been stored for house repairs.

Fearing for their safety, the couple relocated to Farzana’s father’s old house on Water Works Road in Puran Dhaka’s Chawkbazar. Unfortunately, they were not safe there either. On the evening of August 8, a group of 25–30 people stormed the house, chanting religious slogans like “Naraye Takbeer – Allahu Akbar” while breaking through the main gate. They began looting the home and attacked the couple when they tried to resist, injuring them and tying them up before locking them inside a bathroom. The attackers hurled slurs, branding them as agents of the ruling party, atheists, and enemies of Islam. They threatened to kill the couple, accusing them of converting to Buddhism and declaring they had no right to live in a Muslim country like Bangladesh.

Farzana Binte Hossain, who was injured in the attack, said the assailants looted the house for nearly half an hour and then vandalized it, even attempting to set it on fire. Local residents eventually intervened, broke open the bathroom door, rescued the couple, and arranged medical treatment. Residents reported that multiple calls were made to Chawkbazar and Lalbagh police stations during the incident, but no police officers responded.

As of the time this report was filed, the local police station has reportedly refused to file a case or even a general diary entry. The journalist couple is now living in constant fear for their lives. Both Farzana and her husband, Md. Mizanur Rahman Khan, are currently undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital for serious injuries. It is worth noting that this is not the first time the couple has been targeted — they previously faced an attack by Islamic extremists on November 15, 2023.