Five police officers were injured and a police vehicle was vandalized in an attack by Awami League activists in Gopalganj's Tungipara on Sunday after police detained an Awami League activist named Safayet Gazi during the distribution of leaflets by Chhatra League men.
Additionally, a police officer was surrounded by local party activists and was later rescued by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Moinul Haque.
The incident took place at around 7pm when some activists of the banned organization Chhatra League were distributing Awami League leaflets in front of Khan Saheb Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain School and College, in the town of Tungipara.
Police detained Safayet Gazi from the location and attempted to take him away in a police vehicle. Local Awami League and Chhatra League activists, along with residents, blocked the police vehicle, engaging in a heated argument.
Eventually, they tried to free Safayet, but when unsuccessful, they attacked the police and vandalized the vehicle. As a result, five police officers were injured. One officer was also detained by local people.
Upon receiving the news, additional police forces arrived at the scene but were also met with hostility.
Later, the UNO arrived, calmed the agitated crowd, and freed the detained officer. He then handed the officer over to the officer-in-charge (OC) of Tungipara police station.
OC Khorshed Alam confirmed the incident, saying: "Local people attacked the police to free the arrested person involved in distributing leaflets of the banned Chhatra League.”
He added: “Five police officers were injured, and a police vehicle was vandalized in the incident. A significant number of army personnel are also present at the scene along with the police. The situation is now under control."
UNO Md Moinul Haque said: "After receiving the news of the vandalism of the police vehicle and the detention of a police officer, I arrived at the spot and calmed the agitated crowd.”
He added: “I rescued the police officer and handed him over to the OC of Tungipara police. The situation is now under control by the law enforcement."
Medical Officer Alif Shahriar of Tungipara Upazila Health Complex confirmed that the five injured police officers received primary treatment and were discharged from the hospital.
