Government officials of Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Jhenaidah and Power Development Board, Lalmonirhat were allegedly assaulted by leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League on Sunday.
All employees of the Harianklundu upazila headquarters, Jhenaidah yesterday observed a two-hour long work abstention, protesting an assault on an upazila level officer of the BRDB by a ruling party man.
Manisankar Halder, upazila officer of the BRDB, alleged that some ruling party men were pressuring him to change the results of the bi-elections of ward one of Chandpur union parishad, which was won by a candidate of the main opposition BNP last week.
On Sunday evening, a gang of villagers led by Abbas Hossain stormed into his office and physically assaulted him, he added.
Manisankar also said he would file a case with the Hariankundu police station in this connection.
When contacted, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abul Bashar said legal steps would be taken in this regard.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Jhenaidah Safiqul Islam said the administration would not favour anybody if someone took law in his own hands.
Elsewhere in Lalmonirhat, six personnel, including residential engineer of the Power Development Board, were allegedly assaulted by ruling party activists when the officials disconnected illegal power connections at Madhya Goddimari village under Hatibandha upazila of the district on Sunday night.
The injured PDB staff – Residential Engineer Abdul Matin, Office Assistant Abdul Mannan, Lineman Tazul Islam, Bill Operator Hafizul Islam and electricians Alam Miah and Babu Islam – were admitted to the Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex.
Assaulted PDB staff alleged that they disconnected 35 illegal power connections in the village and were about to disconnect 15 more illegal connections that night.
At that time, some ruling party activists jointly led by Jahanur Islam, Mizanur Rahman Milon, Farooque Hossain and Masud Rana attacked on them on the spot.
Local people said, local Awami League activists, with assistance from the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Motahar Hossain’s Personal Assistant and local AL leader Abu Bakkar Siddique Shyamal, gave illegal power connections to 50 households in the village two months ago.
“The house owners with illegal power connections did not submit any applications regarding the matter at his office,” assaulted Residential Engineer Abdul Matin said, adding that he was preparing to lodge two separate cases for assault and stealing electricity.
However, the alleged AL men Jahanur Islam, Mizanur Rahman Milon, Farooque Hossain and Masud Rana denied attacking PDB personnel, and rejected the engineer’s statement regarding the illegal power connections.
The state minister could not be reached for comments despite several attempts over mobile phone.
