PABNA, Sept 08 (V7N) — Adam Ali, 60, president of a BNP ward unit and the prime accused in the murder case of teenager Toma Khatun, 16, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Atgharia upazila of Pabna on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 4pm in the Chandipasha area. Adam Ali, son of the late Nurul Islam of Shatgachha village, was president of Ward No. 1 BNP unit of Ekdanta Union and a former union parishad member.

Atgharia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque confirmed the incident.

According to the OC, Adam Ali was returning home by motorcycle after shopping at Ekdanta Hat. When he reached the Chandipasha area, a group of assailants intercepted his motorcycle.

They first opened fire at him and then attacked him with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. At one point, Adam Ali ran towards a local resident’s house but collapsed in front of it, where he died.

On receiving the information, police went to the scene, recovered the body and prepared an inquest report. The body is being prepared to be sent to the Pabna General Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination.

OC Nazmul Haque said the identities of the attackers and the motive behind the killing could not immediately be established. Police are investigating whether the murder was linked to the Toma murder case or whether it stemmed from another reason.

Meanwhile, local residents and case records said Adam Ali was the prime accused in the murder case of Toma Khatun, 16, daughter of Nayeb Ali of Shatgachha village in the same upazila.

On December 24, 2024, police recovered Toma’s body from a bamboo grove belonging to local resident Hachen Ali. A scarf was found wrapped around her neck. The following day, December 25, Toma’s father Nayeb Ali filed a murder case with Atgharia Police Station, naming Adam Ali as the prime accused.

While Adam Ali was absconding, a joint team of RAB-12 Pabna and RAB-14 Tangail arrested him on December 28, 2024, during a raid in the Ashekpur bypass area under Tangail Sadar Police Station.

Following his arrest, Adam Ali reportedly confessed to raping Toma and subsequently strangling her to death in an attempt to cover up the crime.

After a lengthy investigation, the investigating officer submitted the final charge sheet to the court on December 31, 2025, naming Adam Ali as the prime accused.

After spending about a year in custody, Adam Ali was released on bail and returned to the area. Local residents alleged that after his release, he began pressuring people to withdraw the case and intimidating witnesses.

According to the allegations, Toma’s father Nayeb Ali was forced to leave his home and live elsewhere after receiving threats to his life.

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