Cop killed in clashes with Gazipur villagers

A policeman has been killed and several others injured in clashes with villagers at Gazipur when the law enforcers went to detain several accused from there.

Kaliganj police OC Abdul Baten said the clashes took place in the early hours of Saturday at the Barkaw village.

Deceased Azizur Rahman, 45, was a Nayek by rank in Gazipur Police Line’s reserve force. He hailed from Mymensingh’s Banshkan.

OC Baten said around 70 policemen went to detain several accused including the former Nagori Union Chairman Abdul Quader in an extortion case in the early hours of Saturday.

“At that time an announcement was made from a local mosque that robbers had attacked the locality. That prompted hundreds of residents to attack the police with sharp weapons,” he said.

The police officer said they had fired several rounds in the air in self-defence.

He said Azizur Rahman was seriously injured and later succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.

Kaliganj police SI Md Kamrul Islam, Gazipur Police Line’s Armed Battalion Nayek Mohammad Israfil, Abu Raihan and Anowar Hossain were also injured in the attacks.

Raihan has been admitted to the Gazipur Sadar Hospital and the rest were taken to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.

Identities of the injured villagers could not be known immediately.

Locals said they had been having problems with the capital’s development authority (RAJUK) over matters relating to land acquisitions. Abdul Quader had been leading them in stop various projects in the area.

On Apr 30, Engineer Md Nuruzzaman of RAK Company, carrying out a project there, filed an extortion case with the Kaliganj police accusing Quader and several others.

Kaliganj circle’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Shahriar Alam said the chief accused Quader had escaped but one Saidur Rahman was detained.