Pourashava mayor sustains bullet wounds as two factions of AL clash

Chattogram’s Baraiyahat pourashava mayor and pourashava Awami League’s general secretary Rezaul Karim sustained bullet injuries as another group of the ruling party men attacked him over extracting sand from Feni river.

Two others, Ashok Sen and Shahed Khan, were also injured in the attack that took place at around 11 on Friday morning at Osmanpur Bazar under Osmanpur union in Mirsharai upazila.

Witnesses said mayor Rezaul and his associates went to Feni river in Mirsharai  to extract sand for a power plant in Karerhat union in Chattogram’s Mirsharai upazila. Supporters of Feni sadar upazila’s Fazilpur union parishad chairman and Fazilpur union Awami League president Mojibul Haque attacked the mayor and his associates leaving the three injured.

Mojibul, however, denied the allegation of his involvement with the attack.

“I heard locals drove out Baraiyahat pourashava mayor Rezaul Karim when he came to extract sand illegally from a place taken lease by me. I don’t have any involvement with this incident. Although I’m the legal lessee, I’ve not gone to the place even once,” Mojibul told Prothom Alo.

Mirsharai upazila health complex’s physician Mahmuda Akter told Prothom Alo that three persons hit by stray bullets came to receive treatment at the health complex. They were transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital after primary treatment.

Nur Hossain Mamun, officer in charge of Jorarganj police station, said he heard that the mayor and some others received bullet injuries.

Police have visited the place and will take action upon further investigation, the OC said adding that they are yet to receive any complaint over the incident.