7 cops hurt in Hefajat attack

At least seven policemen, including the officer-in-charge of Mollahat Police Station, were injured as activists of Hefajat-e-Islam, a Qawmi madrasa-based organisation, attacked them yesterday. 

Injured OC Kazi Golam Kabir said Hefajat activists gathered near Mollahat Upazila Health Complex to bring out a procession to protest the arrest of its leader Maulana Mamunul Haque around 11:00am. On information, police went to the spot and Hefajat activists attacked them, he added.

Mamunul's maternal grandfather's house is in Udaipur village of Mollahat.

The other injured are Mollahat Police Station SI Thakur Das Mandal, ASI Mohammad Liakat, Mohammad Baharul, police constables Nazmul Fakir, Sohag Mia and Mohammad Shahidul Islam.

Biplob Kanti Biswas, Mollahat upazila health and family planning officer, said the injured policemen took treatment at the health complex. The OC needed stitches on his right leg, he added.

A local reporter told The Daily Star that students and teachers of some madrasas of the area went to the health complex area to demonstrate. When police went there, they threw brick chunks at them, the journalist added.

Mir Shafin Mahmud, additional superintendent of Bagerhat police, said, "We have visited the spot. Police have been deployed near the health complex and other important places in Mollahat. Now the situation is under control. Preparations are underway to file a case in connection with the attack."