The Fragile Peace of Cox’s Bazar
By: SHAM ISLAM | The Bengali Roots | March 2026
At Kabita Chattar, where the rustic caress of the world’s longest natural beach usually lulls, waves rhythmically lap the shore. But this Tuesday night, it was shattered by a cry of distress that has reverberated far beyond Cox’s Bazar.
The brutal stabbing of Khorshed Alam, a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, is not only a local tragedy: it is a chilling reminder that even well-sprung subsequent uprisings can harbour terrible explosions of violence.
For the global Non-Resident Bengali (NRB) community, who watch their homeland with a mixture of hope and worry, Khorshed’s death seems to raise one issue in eloquent terms: is the spirit of the July Movement being answered by the leaping licentiousness it sought to abolish?
A Life Cut Short in the Jhau Grove
At about 10:30 p.m., Khorshed Alam was intercepted by two assailants in the shadows of the Jhau grove near the sea beach. A bungled mugging turned into a fatal assault.
Khorshed, a front-line activist and proud worker for the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JPC), was stabbed several times in the abdomen and legs. After being rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, he was found already dead.
The presence of Tarin, another former coordinator who accompanied him at the time and is now being held by the police for questioning, underscores the personal nature of the danger these youthful leaders face. And the official narrative may be that it was a mugging that went out of control, but the political community in Cox’s Bazar doesn’t buy that line.
“Frontline activist and leader of the July movement, Khorshed Alam, has died in a planned manner. Though youth gangs and muggers abound in this small town… police are silent.”
— Shahadat Hossain, Former District President, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD).
Security Blanket of a Holiday Hot Spot
After the killing, the streets of Cox’s Bazar were filled with protesters. JCD leaders and local political figures have moved very quickly to point out a disconcerting trend: the ostensible departure, or simply “not turning up”, of law enforcement in crucial areas is a chilling sign for radicals.
The Tourism Industry Factor: Thousands of holidaymakers visit Kabita Chattar every day. There are creative, crafty reasons rules are a must, such as increasing police visibility in this busy area; however, most people they meet will see violations as a sort of official dereliction.
The ‘Youth Gang’ Mould: Local political figures emphasise the tide of organised crime and mugging gangs that have flooded in over the last few years in the political vacuum of the ’60s in Dnipropetrovsk.
Warning Sign: For a city that accounts for Bangladesh’s number one source of tourism, such monstrous acts intimidate international tourists and investors.
Demand for Accountability
The voices of local leaders are becoming increasingly strident. Md Khaled Bin Saeed, spokesman for District NCP, issued a blunt ultimatum to the police: “Quickly arrest Khorshed’s killers, or else step aside.” Such a sentiment reflects a widespread national impatience with the “restoration of order”.
The young people who had taken up the Anti-Discrimination Movement hoped for a safe, transparent Bangladesh. The death of one of their number at a public tourist spot indicates that reality can still be quite far away.
As the investigation goes on and police enquire about the identities of the two attackers, the Bengali community overseas watches with interest. Khorshed Alam’s death is a test case for how far today’s rulers can live up to the individuals who advocated for their actions on their behalf.
Editor’s note:
The critical role of the student movement against discrimination in shaping the world’s Bengali identity is something we at The Bengali Roots can never forget. The loss of Khorshed Alam is a tragedy affecting the safety of our young people and the health of the Bangladeshi soul – which needs direct nurturing by citizens respectfully declining any unreasonable demands from ungrateful proles may keep it safe.
We call for area security; otherwise, the whole nation is implicated. We also ask for an examination report and the results of the police inquiry. The conclusion is indeed an internal affair.
For our overseas readers, please follow this. Let’s call for a social justice movement in regard to police reform. We repeat our pledge of support for both the deceased man and those fellow students who stood up against life-threatening hazards long enough to expose the country’s vicious maw to public gaze.
