Four policemen have been injured by goons associated with a local Awami League (AL) leader in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district.
The incident occurred they urged shopkeepers to close their shops in the wake of the government extending the window for social distancing to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic, reports UNB.
The policemen came under attack while they were discharging duties at Moendia Bazar of Poromeshwardi union under the upazila around 11am on Saturday.
The attack originated from an altercation with shopkeepers who were asked to close their shops for proper social distancing aimed at mitigating the outbreak.
The injured policemen are Sub Inspector (SI) Shahadat Hossain, 36, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Pijush Boiragi, 40, constables Farhad, 38, and Jalal Uddin,52, of Boalmari police station.
They were given primary treatment at Boalmari Upazila Health Complex.
Locals said that a police squad went to discharge duties at Moendia Bazar in the morning, where they found Malek’s tea stall and Nazrul Islam’s rod-cement shop in operation, with their doors open for business.
Police had to request them to close their shops as part of the country’s social distancing protocols.
Sources requesting anonymity said that at one stage a disagreement developed between the law enforcers and Abdul Mannan Molla, president of the Bazar Traders Association, and perhaps more importantly Science and Technology secretary of Poromeshwardi union Awami League.
As the policemen asked Abdul Mannan Molla to maintain social distance, his son Harez Molla and tea shopkeeper Malek’s son Hasan, along with several others, suddenly ambushed the law-enforcers with sticks.
Boalmari police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aminur Rahman said: “The four policemen were on duty at the Moendia Bazar to raise awareness among the people as part of containing the spread of coronavirus.
”They were injured in an attack by associates of the Moendia Bazar shop owners’ committee, after one tea stall and a rod-cement shop were closed down. Efforts continue to identify those involved with the incident.”
Several attempts were made throughout the evening and well past midnight to contact Abdul Mannan Molla on his cellphone, but it was switched off all night.
Meanwhile, Md Nurul Alam Mina Mukul, Poromeshwardi Union Parishad (UP) chairman, condemned the incident and called for the arrest of the perpetrators.
