One person was injured during a gun attack targeting BNP leader Liaquat Ali Member at the Cox’s Bazar court premises today, police said.

Police identified the injured man as Moin Uddin, a cousin of Liaquat.

Following the incident, an alleged criminal was detained from the scene along with a foreign-made pistol, bullets and magazines.

The detainee, who was also injured in a beating, is currently undergoing treatment at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital under police guard, said Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station.

The incident took place around 11:30am at the district judge court premises, an area surrounded by key government establishments, including the office of the superintendent of police, the district judge’s residence and the district council building.

The OC said Liaquat, general secretary of Jhilongja union BNP, had gone to the court for a hearing in a case when he came under attack.

“He was targeted in the shooting. As he moved away, another person standing nearby was shot,” the OC said.

Moin was first taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital and later referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

The OC added that the suspect, Ziaul Haque Zia, is from the Kalirchhara area of Eidgaon upazila and the attack was primarily believed to be linked to a dispute over local dominance.

“There had also been previous attacks on Liaquat Ali’s house,” he added.

However, he declined to comment immediately on whether others were involved in the attack.

Additional Public Prosecutor Advocate Mohammad Abdur Rashid said he was inside the court of the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge during the incident.

“I suddenly heard several gunshots from the eastern side. Looking through the window, I saw two bloodied men lying beside a white luxury vehicle. One of them ran into the courtroom,” he said.

“Later, police detained a slim-built young man and put him into a vehicle,” he added.

“If gunfire erupts in broad daylight inside the court premises, then litigants, lawyers and judges — no one is safe,” he said.

Videos obtained by this correspondent show several men forcibly dragging a person into a white SUV while multiple gunshots can be heard in the background.

Regarding the footage, OC Sheikh Mohammad Ali said the person being forced into the vehicle was detained suspect Zia.

Further details could not be known immediately.

Asked about the number of shots fired, the lawyer said he heard five to six rounds fired in quick succession.