Hossain, 43, editor of the newspaper Dainik Bir Darpan, was assassinated in the southwestern town of Jhenaidah. According to the English-language daily The Independent, published from Dhaka, three unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle fired from close range at Hossain and a friend as they were talking outside a shop. Hossain was killed instantly. His friend, Alfaj Uddin, died en route to the hospital.
Dainik Bir Darpan had been outspoken against left-wing militant activity in the area, arguing that the leftist underground should abandon violence and engage in the democratic process. Hossain himself wrote numerous articles criticizing local militants for ignoring the needs of the rural population.
Although both Hossain and Alfaj Uddin had been active in the Sramajibi Mukti Andolan, a radical leftist organization working for more equitable land distribution, CPJ sources believe Hossain was targeted for his journalistic work.