Ershad loyalists capture Rangpur JP office

Jatiya Party activists loyal to party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Tuesday night captured the district unit office at Central Road following an attack on one of the leaders of the faction.

SM Yasir, member secretary of Rangpur city unit convening committee, was stabbed allegedly by the supporters of Mashiur Rahman Ranga, state minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, in city's Jummapara area on Tuesday night.

Injured Yasir told this correspondent that a gang of 10/12 masked men riding on four motorcycles waylaid him and stabbed him with sharp weapons while he was returning home around 11:00pm, leaving him injured.

Hearing his screams, locals chased the gang, rescued him and rushed him to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Contacted, Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, convener of the convening committee, claimed that Ranga's men launched the attack on Yasir.

Samsul Haque, joint-general secretary of the dissolved district committee, also loyal to Ranga, refuting the allegation said none of their supporters were involved in the incident.

Abdul Qader Jilani, officer in-charge of Rangpur Kotwali Police Station, said they were conducting drives to arrest the attackers. Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.

On September 10, party chief Ershad relieved Ranga from the party's presidium member post and dissolved JP's Rangpur district and city unit committees.

Ershad also announced two separate convening committees of the district and city units the same day.