Monday's Incident in Baufal
Police free 17 out of 19 goons of land grabber
Seventeen of the 19 men, caught and handed over to police for vandalising three business establishments and exploding cocktails at Gopalia Bazar in Baufal upazila on Monday night, were freed from Baufal police station yesterday noon.
The 19 people along with over 30 others had gone to Gopalia Bazar as accomplices of one Nasim Ahmed, who was trying to set up a brickfield to the east of Gopalia Bazar launch terminal after occupying five acres of government land which was already leased to landless people.
Nasim, introducing himself as the president of central committee of Bangladesh Awami Peshajibi League, started work for setting up a brick field there in September this year, sources said.
After local people submitted complaint to the deputy commissioner, upazila nirbahi officer and assistant commissioner (AC-Land), a team led by Baufal upazila AC-Land Mrinal Kanti De on September 18 visited the spot with Baufal police station officer in charge Shilmoni Chakma and they found villagers' allegation true. As they forbade Nasim to fill up the land and set a red flag there, Nasim stopped his work for the time being.
But as part of Nasim's plan to build a brick kiln furnace on the land yesterday, over 50 men went to nearby Gopalia Bazar with 25 motorbikes led by Nasim's brothers Kislu Ahmed and Kaiyum Ahmed. They ransacked a tea stall, a pharmacy and a saloon at the bazar and tried to create panic by exploding two cocktails. At one stage villagers' surrounded the gang and caught 19 men including the two brothers of Nasim Ahmed while others managed to flee. Villagers also seized 21 motorbikes. At about 10:00pm a team from Baufal police station went to the spot and brought the 19 men and 21 motorbikes to the station.
Monir Khan, owner of the damaged tea stall, filed a case accusing 45 people in this regard with Baufal police station on Monday night but police freed 17 men and let them take back all the motorbikes from the police station yesterday noon.
When contacted, Baufal police station OC Shil Moni Chakma said, "I freed 17 people from the police station as they live on driving hired motorbikes. Nasim Ahmed's two brothers Kislu Ahmed and Kaiyum Ahmed were produced before the court that sent them to jail. We will take lawful action after proper investigation."
Regarding Nasim's attempt to grab land, The Daily Star on October 18 published a report titled 'AL tag used to grab land'.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments