Jamaat-Shibir activists swooped on a police team after circulating a rumour through loudspeakers of mosques that their village fell prey to robbers leading to a deadly clash that left 50 people injured including 22 policemen.
The clash erupted as a police team went to Khanabari and Kadamtala areas under Sundarganj upazila early yesterday to arrest Jamaat-shibir men accused in cases filed for killing policemen in Gaibandha.
The Jamaat-Shibir men torched a pick-up van of police and vandalised nearly 12 houses during the nearly eight-hour clash. They encircled the police team which went first to make the arrest.
Police said a team of Sundarganj police went to Khanabari and Kadamtala areas under Sarbananda union of the upazila around 1am to arrest local Jamaat leader Azadul Islam in connection with a case filed for killing policemen on February 28, 2013.
On that day in 2013, after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) delivered death sentence against Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for crimes against humanity during the country’s liberation war in 1971, Jamaat-Shibir men unleashed a reign of terror in Sunderganj.
They attacked a police camp at Bamondanga and lynched four constables to death. Four more people were also killed in the violence.
“Police filed 32 cases in that connection and early Sunday we went to nab one of the mastermind Azadul,” said Additional Superintendent of Gaibandha Mosharraf Hossain.
He said sensing their presence Jamaat-Shibir men announced on the loudspeakers that a team of robbers have stormed into some houses. In response people from their houses came in hundreds with lethal weapons.
“The Jamaat-Shibir men then made the second announcement that we had gone there to nab Azadul and they urged villagers to resist us. As Sundarganj is a stronghold of Jamaat people came out,” he said.
The Jamaat-Shibir men swooped on police with sticks and homemade bombs. They also fired from guns and exploded hundreds of cocktails before they pinned law enforcers down. Police also retaliated with shots.
At one stage, Jamaat-Shibir activists torched a police pick-up van parked in Kanarmour area.
“As the cops could not find way out in the dark they opened fires in self defence,” he said.
An additional reinforcement of BGB, RAB and armed police battalion rescued them from Jamaat-Shibir clutch. UNO Abu Rafa M Arif and Additional Police Super Mosarrof Hossain also rushed to the spots around 3am.
Later, the joint forces in the areas carried a second raid to nab the attackers triggering a further clash that continued till 8am.
In the clashes, Jamaat-Shibir men hurled bricks at the joint forces prompting the law enforcers to retaliate by firing 1166 bullets including 755 rubber bullets and throwing a number of tear gas shells.
During the clashes, a total of 22 policemen including SI Rajab Ali, ASI Neharanjan and ASI Mohirduddin were injured, said Officer-in-charge of Sundarganj Police Station M Mojazemmel Haque.
The joint forces nabbed five activists of Jamaat-Shibir from the spots during their operations in the areas, he also said.
Local people alleged that at least 30 Jamaat-Shibir men were injured in the clash with law enforcers.
Of them, 20 suffered bullet injuries and seven of them were sent to different clinics and hospitals in Rangpur in critical condition.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Police Super M Mofazzel Hossain said the law and order situation was brought under control about 10am.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
