Bid to Occupy Govt Employees' Land
30 hurt as locals clash with cops in Rangpur town
At least 30 people were injured as locals clashed with police in Parjatan area of the district town yesterday afternoon.
Witnesses said about 300 people in the area have been using around one acre of land belonging to a housing society of class iii and class iv government employees as
playground and eidgah for six years.
Locals locked in an altercation with police and members of the housing society as they went to Parjatan area to take control of the land. At one stage, they swooped on police and the government employees.
Police clubbed the agitators, fired 15 rounds of tear gas shells and eight rounds of rubber bullets, leaving at least 30 people injured.
“We went to take possession of our land on several occasions, but locals created obstacles in our way and drove us out from there, said Mostafa Kamal, a member of the housing society.
Class iii and class iv employees purchased the land from the government for a housing project six years ago, but locals have been using the land illegally, he added.
Of the injured, Joynal Hossain, 25, Abdus Sattar, 28, Sabuj Miah, 25, Firoj Ahmed, 30, and Akbar Ali, 29, were admitted to private clinics and hospitals while the rest given first aid.
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