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Published : 19 Mar 2025, 02:22 AM
More than 100 BNP leaders and activists have allegedly beaten up police personnel by blocking Joypurhat’s Khetlal Police Station to “free” those detained for purportedly demanding extortion money.
Seven people, including two police officers, were injured in the incident on Tuesday evening.
After bringing the situation under control, army personnel detained Khetlal Upazila BNP General Secretary Abu Bakkar Siddique from the scene.
Khetlal Police Station chief Mahbubur Rahman said more than 100 people had come to the police station to snatch three individuals who were in police custody.
After being obstructed by police, the miscreants beat them up and blocked the Police Station.
Army personnel later brought the situation under control.
The injured are Tofazzal Hossain, 35, of Shakharunj village in the municipal area, Amirul Islam, 27, of the same village, and ‘Rafiq’, 37, and Abdul Momin, 38, from Bagura.
The injured police members are ‘Sumon’, who has been identified by a single name, and Kazi Zafar.
Tofazzal claimed that he had gone to the Upazila Sub Registrar Office to register a land.
BNP activists Masud Chowdhury, Golam Mowla, and ‘Jewel’, led by BNP's Ward 9 President Kabir Chowdhury, demanded Tk 50,000 from him as extortion there.
He alleged that after being rejected, they called Upazila BNP Organising Secretary Mehedi Ashiq Partha who later came and threatened that the registration will not be done if the payment was not made.
Four of his relatives, including Tofazzal, were beaten up when they tried to stop Mehedi.
Police later rescued them and detained three individuals in connection with the incident.
Tofazzal said hundreds of people, led by Abu Bakkar and Mehedi, attacked the police station to snatch the three detained by police. But the attackers did not succeed.
Alongside the army, district police personnel also rushed to the scene upon receiving the information.
BNP's Upazila unit President Khaledul Masud Anjuman said, "If anyone from the party is found guilty in the incident, they will definitely be punished."
Preparations are under way to file a case over the incident, OC Mahbubur said.
