Fishermen claimed that a young girl had been missing after she was allegedly picked up by the members of the Coast Guards at Tetulbaria, Barguna yesterday morning.
Local sources said a clash had taken place between the members of the Coast Guards and fishermen over netting fries with current nets in the estuary of Bishkhali and Burishewar Rivers in the morning.
Selim Chaukidar, who was a witness of the incident, said when the fishermen were netting fries, a contingent of Coast Guards had gone to spot and tried to seize the current nets. Then, fishermen resisted them and a clash took place between them.
During the clash, members of the Coast Guards assaulted them indiscriminately that left four people critically injured. The injured are Kodbanu, 45, Jabeda Begum, 35, Rasel, 25, and Fulbanu, 42.
When local people went to the spot hearing screams of injured people, Coast Guards members picked up widow Jabeda Begum and her niece Asma, 20, on trawler while leaving the place hurriedly.
Later, Jabeda Begum was found at Nidrar Char, three kilometres away from Tetulbaria.
Jabeda Begum said: “I became senseless after Coast Guards members took us on the board. When I got sense, they dropped me at Nidrar Char. I do not know where my niece is.”
Md Shamim, station commander of Fakirhat camp, said fishermen attacked them when they had gone to the spot to recover current nets.
“We charged batons on them to save ourselves from the attack. Jabeda herself boarded on our boat to take her net. Later, we dropped her at Nidrar Char.”
He, however, denied picking up Asma on trawler.
Officer-in-Charge of Taltoli police station told the Dhaka Tribune that police were aware of the matter.
“We rescued the injured people and took them to hospital,” he said. No missing was report in this connection.
