Mob Sets Rangpur Fair Venue Afire
65 hurt as police try to stop stall looting
Around 65 people including five policemen were injured as police tried to prevent unruly mob from looting stalls at the trade fair at Rangpur Zila School ground Tuesday night.
The mob, angered by the fair committee's decision to postpone distributing prizes of a raffle draw, set fire to the fair venue and looted goods worth about Tk 50 lakh, eyewitnesses said.
Organisers of the trade fair held a raffle draw on sold tickets Tuesday night and the people who had visited the trade fair on ticket earlier, started gathering on the fair premises.
Hearing the announcement that the raffle draw would be held on that night but the prizes would be distributed later, the people became agitated.
They set fire to the fair venue and started looting goods from different stalls.
Police rushed to the spot at about 11:00pm. As they tried to prevent the unruly mob from plundering and charged baton on them, a series of chases and counter chases followed.
Sixty-five people were injured during the clash that continued for over two hours.
Later Rapid Action Battalion joined with police and brought the situation under control. They picked up about 50 people including president of Rangpur town unit Swechchhasebok League Sayedul Islam Alamgir from Rangpur Zila School ground and different areas of the town.
Protesting the arrest of Alamgir, leaders and activists of Awami League, Swechchhasebok League and Krishak League laid seize to Rangpur Kotwali Police station yesterday morning. Police dispersed them by charging baton.
"Police lodged a case with Rangpur Kotwali Police Station in this connection. Thirteen people were shown arrested. Others, who were picked up during the incident, were released after interrogation," Rangpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Saleh Md Tanvir said.
The arrestees are town unit Swechchhasebok League president Sayedul Islam Alamgir, Jubo Sanghati (front organisation of JP) leader Altaf Hossain London, Swechchhasebok League activists Shahidul Islam, Abdur Rashid, Uzzal Miah, Iqbal Ahmed, Monirul Haque, Asadul Haque, Raju Miah, Mamun Miah, Mostaque Ahmed, Sayeur Rahman, and Jahangir Alam Badsha.
The SP said the arrestees were involved with the attack, loot and setting fire to the trade fair venue.
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