Assault on a villager sparked violent protest in Faridpur’s Saltha upazila where locals set fire to the office of assistant commissioner (land) and attacked police on Monday night.
Md Zakir Hossain Molla, the victim, said he was returning home from Fukra Bazar in Sonapur Union around 7:30 pm after having tea. AC Land Marufa Sultana Khan Hiramoni went there with her team to see how the lockdown was going.
Zakir said a man got down from the AC Land’s vehicle and hit him with a stick that broke his spine.
He is being treated at the upazila hospital.
The incident sparked tension at Fukra Bazar and villagers soon gathered there. They attacked a police team led by Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman.
Agitated locals then headed towards the police station and surrounded it.
Saltha Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Ashikuzzaman said they sent a team to Fukra Bazar after getting a call from the AC Land.
“The team was attacked as soon as it had reached there. SI Mizanur was hit in the head,” he said, calling for calm.
AC Land Hiramoni could not be reached for comments.
At the time of the report’s filing, locals had the Upazila Parishad and the police station surrounded, demanding punishment for the people responsible for the attack on Zakir.
Monday was the first day of a weeklong countrywide lockdown to contain the transmission of Covid-19. The government has directed people to stay in their homes and not to go out between 6pm and 6am until there is an emergency.
