Over 50 people, including 22 members of the joint forces, were injured in clashes with Jamaat-Shibir men in Khanabari Kadamtala village under Sarbananda union of Sundarganj upazila, Gaibandha, earlier on Sunday.
Police launched a drive in the Khanabari Kadamtala area at 12:15am on Sunday to arrest those accused in 4 police deaths in an attack perpetrated by Jamaat-Shibir men in Bamandanga on February 28 of last year. Jamaat-shibir activists cordoned off the law enforcers after some time into the law enforcers' drive, Sundarganj police station Officer-in-Charge Md Mujammel Haq told the Dhaka Tribune.
Upon receiving information, a team of the joint forces rushed to the spot to extract them and later launched an operation within the village, triggering disparate clashes with Jamaat-Shibir men.
The unruly Jamaat-Shibir members hurled crude bombs and brick chips at the law enforcers, in retaliation to which the members of joint forces fired 755 rubber bullets, 441 rounds of riffle ammunition and tear gas shells to bring the situation under control, Gaibandha Police Super Mufazzel Hossain said.
50 people, including 22 lawmen, were injured in the altercation.
The injured police men include SI Rajab Ali, ASI Nihar Ranjan, ASI Mahir Uddin, two police constables, Additional Police Super Mosharaf Hossain said.
Locals said at least 20 Jamaat-Shibir men sustained bullet injuries in the clashes. Of them, seven people were admitted to different hospitals and clinics in Ranpur in critical conditions.
The joint forces arrested 5 Jamaat-Shibir men from the area, Mosharaf Hossain added.
Witnesses said a police covered van was torched during the clashes. However, the police denied this claim.