NOAKHALI, Apr 23: A Bangladeshi expatriate businessman was shot dead in what appears to be a targeted killing in South Africa.
The victim, Abu Naser Shamim, 50, was gunned down in front of his business establishment in the Bara area, near Johannesburg, around 5 pm (local time) on Tuesday.
Shamim hailed from Badamtali area of Ward No 8 under Char Kankra union in Companiganj Upazila of Noakhali. He was the son of the late Abdur Rashid Mia and a father of four.
According to his eldest son, Abu Rafsan Piyas, Shamim first went to South Africa in 2007. After returning to Bangladesh four years ago, he went back again and started several businesses, currently owning four to five outlets.
Piyas alleged that his father had recently been in a dispute with a business partner from Noakhali over the sale of a large shop. The disagreement had reportedly escalated in recent days. Due to security concerns, Shamim had installed bulletproof glass at his shop and hired a private security guard.
On the day of the incident, Shamim was speaking with the guard in front of the shop when attackers, who had been lying in wait, approached him, held a pistol to his head, and fired several rounds, killing him on the spot.
