Lt Colonel Ferdous Ahmed, spokesperson for a joint task force, has said security forces were attacked with jewellery testing acid on Tuesday evening after tensions flared in Chittagong's Teribazar area over a Facebook post on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon).
Briefing the media on Wednesday in the city's Dampara area, the army officer said approximately 500-600 individuals gathered on Hazari Lane, allegedly intending to kill Osman and his brother and burn down their shop.
He added that upon learning of the situation from the local control room, six patrol teams from the army, police, and BGB quickly arrived on the scene.
Due to the large crowd, the forces had to rescue Osman and his brother to protect lives and prevent mob justice, Ferdous said.
He said the assailants threw stones, breaking the windshield of an army pickup van.
"Later, at around 9:30pm, when 10 patrol teams entered Hazari Lane to identify the assailants, hidden attackers began hurling acid-like substances at them."
The forces detained 80 suspects, and investigations are ongoing through CCTV footage and intelligence data to identify the actual culprits, he added.
He further said: “The attackers suddenly threw acid, commonly used in jewellery work, and also hurled bricks, stones, and broken glass bottles at the security forces. Five army personnel and seven police officers were injured. The five army members are currently receiving treatment at Chittagong Combined Military Hospital.”
