Upazila chairman beats sexagenarian teacher over land dispute in Barguna

The chairman of Barguna's Taltoli Upazila has thrashed a retired primary school teacher in public following a land dispute.

Sundor Ali was admitted to the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital in Barisal with severe injuries after the incident on Thursday.
 
Ali retired a year ago as the headmaster of Chhoto Angkujanparha Government Primary School in the Upazila.
 
Chairman Moniruzzaman Mintu, a local Awami League leader, has admitted to beating the sexagenarian teacher over the land dispute.
 
"He (Ali) made offensive comments about the Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina). He also bought a piece of land that was promised to be sold to someone else who paid some money in advance.
 
"That's why he was beaten," Mintu told bdnews24.com.
 
Though the incident took place Thursday evening, it came to the attention of the media on Saturday.
 
Taltoli Police Station OC Babul Aktar said both Ali and his family were yet to lodge a complaint.
 
"We'll file a case and take legal action if Sundor Ali lodges the complaint," he said.  
Witnesses and Ali's wife Shamsunnahar Nasima told bdnews24.com that Mintu and his people had attacked her husband at a tea shop at Taltoli Bazar around 6pm.
 
They beat Ali with hockey sticks and dragged him to the chairman's office. They later released him after thrashing him some more behind closed doors.
 
The assailants also had Ali's clothes stained with the blood from his wounds replaced with new ones, witnesses said.
 
Nasima alleged they also made Ali sign a blank white paper that could be used to claim the ownership of the land.
 
She said Chairman Mintu, a former president of Taltoli Upazila's Awami Juba League unit, has been pressuring them for a long time to release the land or pay Tk 6 million.
 
"They threatened to break my husband’s limbs if we did not obey. The attack on him took place after all these," she alleged.
 
Taltoli police OC Aktar said they went to the scene around 10pm after getting the news. But Ali's relatives had rushed him to the hospital by then.