1 killed, 15 injured as Qawmi madrasa students clash with police in Brahmanbaria

A man died and 15 others, including three police personnel, were injured during a clash between Qawmi madrasa students and police in Brahmanbaria this afternoon.

The clash took place when Qawmi madrasa students under the banner of Hefazat-e-Islam allegedly attacked the office of district superintendent of police (SP) while protesting the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our Brahmanbaria correspondent quoting Brahmanbaria District SP Mohammad Anisur Rahman.

Dr Md Shawkat Hossain, superintendent of Brahmanbaria General Hospital, said a man named Ashik (24) was declared dead by duty doctors after he was taken to the hospital.

Later, the agitating youths took the body from the hospital, added the hospital superintendent.

Sources at the hospital said 15 people including police camp no-2 In-charge Noor e Alam and two other police personnel were injured in the attack. The injured people took treatment from the hospital.

The Qawmi madrasa students also vandalised and set fire to many establishments of the district including the railway station, government offices, offices of cultural organisations and Awami League offices, said SP Anisur Rahman.

They also vandalised murals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at different spots and set fire to several vehicles, our correspondent found after visiting different spots of the district.

Following the attacks, all transportation services including trains remained suspended. 

Train communications of Dhaka with Chattogram, Sylhet and Noakhali resumed nearly eight hours after the madrasa students blocked the rail line by placing logs and set fire to the wooden slipper on the railway line at Brahmanbaria railway station around 4:30pm.

Rail services resumed around 12:04am, said Tanzim Farazi, a ticket collector of the railway station.

Our Brahmanbaria correspondent Mashuk Hridoy was physically assaulted while he was capturing the moments and his mobile phone was taken away and later returned after the snaps and footage of the incident were removed.

He was later rescued by a local councilor.

SP Anisur said the unruly madrasa students were engaged in their rowdy activities for around two and a half hours.

"Now, the situation is under our control," he added.

Meanwhile, five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the district to maintain law and order, said Hayat-Ud-Doula, deputy commissioner of Brahmanbaria.

The troops will remain deployed in the district until further instruction, he added.

Sources said students of different Qawmi madrasas gathered in different spots of the district since noon and after Jumma prayers conducted attacks in phases.