Agitators vandalise Rangamati DC office

A room of Rangamati deputy commissioner's office lies vandalised as a group of unruly people, demonstrating for the rescue of five fishermen kidnapped from a border area of the district on December 6, went on a rampage at the office yesterday.Photo: STAROur Correspondent, Rangamati

A group of people, agitating for steps to rescue five abducted fishermen in the district, vandalised Rangamati deputy commissioner's (DC) office yesterday.

Over a hundred Bangalee settlers from Bhusionchhara union in Barkal upazila under the district demonstrated in Rangamati town demanding steps to rescue the fishermen kidnapped on December 6 from Bangladesh-India border at Tabalabug in Borohorina union of Barkal upazila.

The people under the banner of 'Bhusionchhara Bangalee Oikya Parishad' had a plan to submit a memorandum to the DC to take step for rescue the five fishermen, all hailing from Bhusionchhara union.

But when the demonstrators reached the DC office, suddenly they turned unruly and started vandalising the flower pots, windowpanes and furniture there.

At one stage, police went into action and brought the situation under control.

Fifteen people were arrested in connection with the incident and process was on to file cases against the arrestees, said Liton Ghosh, assistant sub-inspector of Kotwali police station.

Barkal police on December 19 arrested Dilip Kumar Chakma, chairman of Bhusionchhara union parishad, and placed him on two-day remand as Md Abed Ali, father of kidnappeda fisherman Ramjan Ali, filed an abduction case with Barkal police station against 24 people including the UP chairman.

Criminals kidnapped five fishermen, namely, Ramjan Ali, 25, Mokhles Ali, 22, Zahed Ali, 20, Azahar Ali, 27, and Yousuf Ali, 30, from bordering Tabalabug area when they went there for fishing on December 6.

They went to the border area at midnight that day without permission from the authorities of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and have remained traceless since the incident, BGB sources said.