BGB to be deployed in Barishal over attack on UNO’s residence
Authorities have decided to deploy members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Barishal city to keep the law and order situation under control over the incident of an attack on Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) residence on Wednesday night.
Police and Rapid Action Battallion (RAB) patrol has been intensified in the city as tension prevails.
District administration sources said 10 platoon BGB men are on the way and they will reach Barishal city by night. The local administration also sought 10 executive magistrates to accompany the BGB men. Eight of them have already reached the city.
Deputy Commissioner of Barishal Jasim Uddin Haider confirmed the development to Prothom Alo on Thursday evening.
Deputy commissioner (South) of Barishal Metropolitan Police Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan said two cases have been filed over the attack on the UNO’s residence. Police filed one case while the UNO himself filed the other.
12 people have so far been arrested and the police are conducting raids to arrest the others involved with the attack, he added.
Nurul Islam, officer in charge (OC) of Barishal Kotwali model police station, said the cases were filed against 30 leaders and activists of Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League and over 100 more unidentified people.
A source of police said that the detainees include Barishal city Awami League’s joint secretary Hasan Mahmud alias Babu, relief affairs secretary Moazzem Hossain alias Firoz and district Chhatra League vice president Oliullah Oli.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of police and RAB men took position in front of city mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah’s residence in Kalibari road at around 11 in the morning. Mayor was inside the house at that moment.
No one was detained or arrested from the spot. Policemen left the scene at around 12:30pm but a team of RAB stayed there. District Awami League general secretary Talukdar Md Younus tried to enter the mayor’s house but was thwarted. He later told journalists, “We, on behalf of district Awami League, condemn the repression of police.”
About deployment of police in front of mayor’s house, OC Nurul said, “We had information that some accused persons involved in the Wednesday night incident were staying at that house. Additional police forces were deployed to arrest them. But police came back as nobody was found there.”
Hundreds of activists of the district unit of BCL, student front of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, attacked the government residence of the UNO twice on Wednesday night. Several Ansar members, employed to guard the UNO’s residence, were injured in the incident. BCL claimed that at least 30 of their leaders and activists sustained bullet wounds and other injuries at the time.
UNO Munibur Rahman said posters of state minister for water resources Col. Zaheed Farooque were hung up to commemorate the National Mourning Day at different places on the Upazila Parishad premises. BCL men came to tear down those at night. The UNO asked them to tear down the posters on Thursday morning as people were sleeping then. But the BCL men abused him verbally and started picketing around his residence, he added.
The BCL leaders took position in front of the UNO’s house after the incident. Police went to the scene and ruling party activists swooped on them. Additional forces of police and RAB were deployed and they dispersed the BCL men by charging baton. Two policemen and two Ansar members were injured during the incident.
Bus services between Barishal and other parts of the country resumed at around 12:30pm after it remained suspended from early Thursday.
Speaking about the incident at around 3:00 last night, Barishal City Corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah said, “I will seek an inquiry into the incident of gunfire. It is not possible to work as a mayor this way. The prime minister has administered my oath. My father is there. They will take the decision. I’ll resign if I have committed any offence.”