Clash erupts over Facebook post in Chattogram, 7 cops injured

Clash erupted on Tuesday evening between a group of protestors and members of the joint force over sharing a post about a religious organisation on social media, Facebook.

Seven police members were injured, including one of them suffered minor acid burns, in the sporadic clashes that continued from around 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm in the Hazari Goli area of ​​Kotwali police station of Chattogram.

Additional deputy commissioner (media) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), Kazi Tareq Aziz told Prothom Alo on Tuesday night that a shopkeeper, Md Osman, from Hazari Goli area shared a post on his Facebook a few days ago mentioning the name of Hindu religious organisation ISKCON. Some aggrieved people from the Hindu community attacked Osman’s shop over the post this evening and were protesting in the area.

He further said on information the members of the joint forces went there. When Osman was rescued, the aggrieved people demanded that he be handed over to them. At that time they started throwing brick chips. Osman was later taken into police custody.

This made the demonstrators further enraged. They started throwing brick chips at the members of the joint forces again. At one point they even threw acid on the members of the joint force.

Seven police members including CMP assistant commissioner (Kotwali region) Mahfuzur Rahman were injured, including one suffered minor acid burns. The injured have been sent to hospital.

ADC Tareq Aziz further said that joint forces fired several rounds of blank bullets to bring the situation under control. Currently the situation is calm.

The joint force was conducting a raid in the Hazari Goli area to arrest the people who created the chaos.