School Committee Polls: Headmaster, 3 others beaten up

A school headmaster and three others were beaten up on Monday night allegedly by the Jhalakathi sadar upazila chairman and his men over holding an election to a school managing committee.

Latifur Rahman, headmaster of Gobindo Dabol Primary School, and Uttam Dass, a trader of Kirtipasha Bazar, have been shifted to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital from Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

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Uttam's sister Boni Rani Dass and sister-in-law Anjona Rani Dass were treated at the sadar hospital.

Latifur claimed to The Daily Star that the accused broke his hand and leg with hockey sticks at a field near Ramnagar Police Box on picking him up from Ronals Road in Jhalakathi on a government vehicle used by the chairman.

They then took him to the bazar where Uttam was attacked along with the two women who had come to his aid from their nearby residence, said the male victims.

All of them were taken to Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station on the vehicle from where police sent them to the sadar hospital.

Latifur and Uttam claimed that they had wanted the election to be held yesterday instead of giving in to the chairman's demand of appointing an unelected president of his liking.

Locals at the bazar said Latifur and Uttam had got a parent of a student into competing for the president post.

The chairman, Sultan Hossen Khan, however claimed that locals at the bazar beat up the four upon a rumour that they had killed him.

He also claimed to have a recording of Latifur and Uttam announcing at the bazar of their intent to kill him.

The police station's Officer-in-Charge Mahe Alam repeated Sultan's claim, saying legal steps would be taken once a complaint was filed.