Army swings into action after JCD men's misconduct

They caught one of the suspects and handed him over to the Kotwali Police Station. They also arrested the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activist's father, who is an Awami League leader, but later released him on request by the city mayor.

Sources said Second Lieutenant Jubayer of Jalalabad Cantonment along with some other colleagues were returning from the Arang showroom at Barutkhana to the city's Bandarbazar area on a rickshaw at about 9:00pm.

JCD cadre Habib Ibne Islam alias Chamak and Lovelu along with some others were in a private car in the Baruthkhana Lane behind the rickshaw. As there was a traffic jam on the road, the car driver was honking horn.

The army officer asked the driver not to honk horn. It angered Chamak, who along with others got down from the car and locked in a heated argument with the officer. The officer gave his identity but Chamak wielded his pistol and misbehaved with him, knocking him in the cheek, the sources added.

Later, at about 11:00pm, a team of army men riding motorcycles, jeep and a lorry cordoned Barutkhana and Puran Lane area and started a thorough search.

The army men also raided the residence of Chamak in Mirabazar, but failing to find him they picked up his father Ohidul Islam Tofa, an Awami League leader.

Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was passing by the area when he saw the army vehicle in which Tofa was being carried away. The army men released Tofa on his request.

However, they picked up another suspect Hakim. Meanwhile, the additional superintendent of police (SP) and some other police officials went to Barutkhana area and assured the army officers of arresting the criminals.

The army men then left the area while some officials sat at a meeting with the SP and other police officials in the district police headquarters. The army men went back to the cantonment at about 2:30am.

Sources said the car, which was Chamak and Lovelu used, was taken forcibly from a private car stand in the city.

A case was lodged with the Kotwali Police Station against Chamak and seven others. Police made several attempts to arrest Chamak, but failed. He is wanted in a number of criminal cases.