‘They missed their target’: Asif Akbar speaks after shooting at his car

Singer Asif Akbar believes the gunman who fired at his personal car in Dhaka’s Moghbazar area on Saturday morning may have targeted the time he usually leaves his office. The singer was unharmed, and police are investigating the incident.

The shooting took place in front of Bishal Centre in Moghbazar in the early hours of 24 October. Asif was inside his office at the time, while his car was parked downstairs.

Speaking to the media, Asif said senior police officials visited his home on Saturday afternoon to discuss the incident and investigate what had happened.

The singer said he had been preparing to leave his office when a conversation with his son delayed him. He believes the delay may have prevented him from encountering the gunman.

“I cannot identify anyone I suspect. I cannot say who carried out the attack. Whoever did it knows very well when I arrive at my office and when I leave,” Asif said.

He explained that he usually arrives at his office around 8pm or 8.30pm and returns home shortly before or after the Fajr prayer.

“They targeted that time, but they missed their target. I would have gone downstairs a little earlier, but I stayed in the office longer because I was talking to my son,” he said.

According to police, the car was parked on the pavement near Bishal Centre, beside the road connecting Moghbazar with Wireless under Hatirjheel police station.

A man arrived in a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw in the early morning and fired a shot at the vehicle. Police later recovered a bullet cartridge from inside the car.

Asif said he had no information about the identity of the gunman or the possible motive behind the shooting. The incident has prompted concern among members of the entertainment industry.