Case filed against 300 unidentified persons for attacking professor Ratan Siddique’s house

Front gate of Uttara West police station
File photo

Fahmida Haque, wife of professor Ratan Siddique, former acting chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), has filed a case with Uttara police station against 200 to 300 unidentified persons on the allegation of carrying out an attack on their house in the capital’s Uttara area.

She filed the case with Uttara West police station in the capital late on Friday night.

Shah Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman Ilias, officer-in-charge of Uttara West police station, confirmed Prothom Alo about the case.

He said the case was filed on the allegation of carrying out attack with the intention to murder, vandalising Ratan Siddique’s car and offensive behaviour with woman.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding the attack, professor Ratan Siddique said there is a mosque in front of his house beside the road. He was returning home with his wife during the Jumma prayer last Friday in his car. But they couldn’t enter the house as a parked motorcycle was blocking their way. Their driver blew the horn.

He further said, a few minutes later some people came out of the mosque after the prayer and started arguing with them over blowing the horn. At one point, a person made a false acquisition of defaming religion against them. That man agitated the devotees in the mosque saying this.

Ratan Siddique said they also misbehaved with his wife. As the situation was going beyond control, they entered the house and locked the gate from inside. Several people were trying to break the lock at the time. Later, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police came and dispersed the mob.

According to the police, a motorcycle was parked in front of Ratan Siddique’s house. Ratan Siddique’s driver blew the horn to remove the motorcycle from their way while its owner was saying prayer in the mosque. After the prayer, a few people came out of the mosque and engaged in a heated argument with Ratan Siddique. Later, some people tried to escalate the situation in front of the house, the law enforcement added.