Health secy’s village home attacked
A group of people allegedly attacked the assistant commissioner (land) when they surrounded the village home of Health Secretary Abdul Mannan at Chandpur village in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj yesterday afternoon.
The assistant commissioner (land) of Katiadi Ashraful Alam was injured and treated at a local hospital. During the incident, the health secretary was at home but was unhurt.
Officer-in-charge of Katiadi Police Station (Investigation) Md Shafiqul Islam said there was an incident of altercation and chase but no attack was done. Additional DIG Jihadul Kabir reached the spot from Dhaka this afternoon to investigate the allegations, said the OC.
Family members of the health secretary alleged the attack came following a feud with a local lawmaker and his men over the construction of a community clinic at Chandpur village.
Family members of the health secretary had donated a piece of land where a community clinic was being constructed. But people loyal to local lawmaker Nur Mohammad alleged that the lawmaker, also hailing from the same village, was not informed,according to locals.
The health secretary went to his village home on Friday night and visited the under-construction clinic at around 11:00am yesterday.
Around 20 people went to the spot and asked Mannan to stop the construction work. When the health secretary wanted to know the reason, they said the lawmaker was not aware of the clinic. An altercation occurred with the health secretary and at one stage, these men left the scene, said locals.
The men returned, equipped with sticks, at around 12:40pm. They started making abusive comments at the health secretary and drove away the construction workers.
Later, these men went to the health secretary's home and when assistant commissioner (land) Ashraful Alam came forward to talk to them, they allegedly attacked him.
Ashraful, who sustained injuries to his leg, took primary treatment at Katiadi Upazila Health Complex, said Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Alam, who also visited the spot soon after the incident.
On information, police rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control, said OC of Katiadi Police Station MA Jalil who was at the spot. A team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) also reached the spot.
Contacted, MP Nur Mohammad said he was at a meeting at upazila headquarters during the incident. "Village people asked me on several occasions about the construction of the clinic but I could not answer as I knew nothing about it," said the lawmaker.
"I asked the Kishoreganj Civil Surgeon and Katiadi Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer about it yesterday [Friday] and they informed me that a clinic is being constructed," he said.
A government official cannot do this according to his will, said the lawmaker. He also claimed that an incident of altercation might have occurred.
There had been a reaction among the village people, including local party leaders and activists, and they might have gone to the spot, added the lawmaker.
The Daily Star attempted to contact Health Secretary Abdul Mannan several times, but he did not respond to calls or text messages.
No case was lodged and none was detained as of filing this report, saidKatiadi Police Station OC.
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