Md. Lavlu Sheikh ,Lalmonirhat

Miscreants attacked and vandalized a police station and kidnapped two convicted accused.

 At least 23 people, including the OC of Patgram police station, were injured in the incident. Two seriously injured policemen have been sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The incident took place at Patpram police station in Lalmonirhat at around 12 midnight on Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses and police sources, around midnight, more than 200 people suddenly gathered and entered the police station and attacked and vandalized it. They vandalized the police station's chairs, tables, computers, laptops and destroyed important documents. They threw bricks and stones and broke window panes and doors. When the police stopped them, a clash broke out between the two sides.

Patgram Police Station OC Mizanur Rahman said, "The miscreants forcibly took the keys of the police station's jail from the police and snatched away two convicted accused Belal Hossain and Sohel Rana Chapal. Tension increased when teargas shells were fired to control the situation. 

Later, additional police, army and BGB members from Lalmonirhat, Hatibandha and Kaliganj police stations arrived and brought the situation under control."

He also said that many of those involved in the attack have been identified and are associated with the local BNP and its affiliates.

Police said that Belal and Sohel were caught red-handed while extorting money in the Sarorbazar area on Wednesday evening. Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Uttam Kumar Das sentenced them to one month's imprisonment. Belal and Sohel are local labor party leaders. The BNP and its affiliated organizations carried out the planned attack to free them.

However, BNP Patgram Upazila branch general secretary Oliur Rahman Sohel claimed, "This is not a clash between BNP and the police. The main issue is related to the stone quarry leaseholders."

Meanwhile, Sarjis Alam, the northern chief organizer of the Jatiya Nagorik Party, wrote on his verified Facebook page, "BNP leaders and activists have been collecting extortion from transport in Patgram for a long time. The planned attack was to snatch them after they were caught red-handed."

Immediately after the incident, Rangpur DIG Md. Aminul Islam, Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner AH Rakib Haider and Lalmonirhat District Police Superintendent Md. Tariqul Islam visited the scene. Police said that a drive is underway to arrest those involved in the attack.