Assault on Dashmina UZ Vice-Charman
50 hurt as AL men attack protest procession, rally
Unruly Awami League activists vandalise a rickshaw on the road yesterday as they attack a rally protesting assault on the woman vice chairman of Dashmina upazila in Patuakhali district on July 26.Photo: STAR
At least 50 people were injured as Jubo League and BCL activists led by Dashmina AL organising Secretary Iqbal Mahmud Liton attacked a rally and procession of Nagorik Committee at the upazila headquarters yesterday. Nagorik Committee is comprised of some leaders and members from upazila units of AL, Krishak Federation and local elite. It took out a procession at the upazila headquarters at around 11:00am demanding arrest of and exemplary punishment to Iqbal Mahmud Liton who allegedly attacked upazila Vice-Chairman Shahsunnaha Dolly on July 26. BCL and Jubo League men led by Iqbal Mahmud Liton also brought out a procession at the upazila town demanding speedy trial of the war criminals. They also formed a human chain in front of the UNO's office. Witnesses said when Nagorik Committee was holding a rally in front of the local land office at around 11:30am, over 100 Jubo League and BCL men led by Liton attacked the rally, leaving at least 50 people, including upazila Krishak Federation President Liar Hossain, injured. Police charged batons and brought the situation under control. Liar Hossain, 50, brother of Shahmsunnahar Dolly, was taken to Patuakhali Sadar Hospital, while the rest were admitted to Dashmina Upazila Health Complex. The Jubo League and BCL men also attacked two boats which were carrying the supporters of the Nagorik Committee to its rally from char areas. Over 25 people escaped attack by jumping into Dashmina canal. Nagorik Committee claimed that three of its supporters--Sohag, 19, Bakul Bibi, 35 and Saleha Begum, 40, went missing as they jumped into the canal during the attack. Iqbal Mahmud Liton told local journalists that criminals attacked their procession that was brought out demanding speedy trial of the war criminals. Addressing a press conference at local AL office at around 2:00pm, Liton and his supporters called a half-day hartal at the upazila headquarters on Sunday protesting attack on their procession. Iqbal Mahmud Liton, Joint Secretary of upazila AL Abdul Malek, Advocate Md Selim, upazila Jubo League President Md Zakir Hossain, addressed the press conference. Upazila AL President Amir Hossain, also the convenor of Nagorik Committee, told newsmen that Liton and his men swooped on them while they were protesting attack on Shahsunnnahar Dolly on July 26 in a meeting at upazila parishad auditorium. Dolly at press conference at Patuakhali Pree Club on Tuesday alleged that she was physically assaulted by Liton at a meeting of the upazila coordination committee on July 26. Dolly said Iqbal Mahmud entered the auditorium and swooped on her soon after she placed a proposal in the meeting to form a committee to probe collapse of an under-construction building of Abdur Rashid Talukder Degree College on July 22 and misuse of 30 tonnes rice allotted to the college for development of its playground. Iqbal hurled abuse at me and physically assaulted me in presence of the upazila nirbahi officer and upazila parishad chairman, the woman vice-chairman said in her written statement at the conference. She said the UNO, at one stage, called police who brought the situation under control and rescued me from there. No case was filed with Dashmina Police Station in connection with yesterday's incident as of filling of this report at 5:30 pm.
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