Five policemen injured in rumour-fuelled attacks on Barishal police station

Police say 200-300 people, including women, vandalised the station before officers dispersed the crowd

Rumours of a detainee's custodial death have triggered an attack on Agailjhara Police Station by hundreds of locals in Barishal, leaving at least five policemen wounded.

Police clubbed the crowd with batons, leaving around 10 alleged attackers, including women, injured in the daytime incident on Thursday.

Masud Khan, chief of the police station, said the incident took place around 4pm when “200 to 300” men and women stormed and vandalised the facility.

The detained theft suspect was receiving treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, intern doctor Sakibul Hasan Shanto said.

Identifying the suspected thief only as Riaz, Shanto said he did not have any major injury.

“But Riaz suffered a head injury,” said the intern doctor.