Police faced resistance while attempting to arrest a warrant-listed Chhatra Dal leader in Dashmina উপজেলা of Patuakhali, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.
A video of the incident has since circulated on social media.
Witnesses said that on Thursday night in Dashmina upazila, activists of the Gono Odhikar Parishad allegedly assaulted Rakib Hossain, president of Charborhan Chhatra Dal, and handed him over to police. When Sub-Inspector Monir Hossain of Dashmina Police Station attempted to take Rakib into custody, Dashmina upazila Chhatra Dal convener Abul Bashar intervened.
At that time, 30 to 40 Chhatra Dal activists gathered at the scene, surrounded the police, and demanded to see the arrest warrant. A heated exchange took place between Abul Bashar and the police.
During the altercation, Abul Bashar and his followers were heard saying:
“You cannot take a BNP man to the police station. We follow Tarique Rahman’s decision, nothing else. We are not with Gono Odhikar; we are BNP. If you take him, you must take both accused.”
Later, additional police arrived at the scene and arrested Rakib, taking him to the station. On Friday, he was sent to jail through a court order.
Speaking on the matter, Abul Bashar said that Rakib, president of Charborhan Chhatra Dal, was beaten by leaders of Gono Odhikar and handed over to the police.
“I only protested against it,” he said.
Milton Khan, member secretary of Dashmina upazila unit of Gono Odhikar Parishad, stated that the police arrested a warrant-listed accused and that his party had no involvement. However, he alleged that Chhatra Dal leaders believed they had handed Rakib over to police and that Chhatra Dal activists physically assaulted him in front of police.
SI Monir Hossain of Dashmina Police Station said that while arresting warrant-listed accused Rakib, Abul Bashar and several others obstructed him and demanded to see the arrest warrant documents.
“After the documents were shown, the situation came under control,” he said.
