Mob torches Saltha UNO’s office, 2 cars

A mob set fire to Saltha upazila nirbahi officer's office and two government vehicles early today after officials trying to enforce Covid-19 guidelines at a tea stall sparked anger.

Locals said Assistant Commissioner (land) Marufa Sultana went to Fukra Bazar under Sonapur union and tried to enforce the Covid rules around 6:30pm. Ansar members, who accompanied her, beat up a man for having tea with others violating the rules, the locals alleged.

At one stage the official left the scene and police from Saltha Police Station went there and clashed with the crowd.

SI Mizan and two constables were injured, police said.

Sources said a rumour started spreading that two people had been killed in police fire. A mob formed outside the upazila parishad compound a few kilometres away from Fukra Bazar.

The mob late last night besieged the UNO office and the Saltha Police Station next door, the locals alleged.

Police fired shots in the air to disperse the mob but the mob attacked the policemen forcing them to retreat.

The mob torched the UNO's office and vandalised the upazila agriculture officer's office. They also torched two vehicles parked in garages inside the compound.  

AC (Land) Marufa Sultana said, "I went to Fukra Bazar as my routine duty for lock down enforcement around 6:30pm. There I found two tea stalls where locals were passing time. I asked my Ansar members to tell them to close the shop. When they went to tell them a group of 50-60 people with sticks tried to attack us. So, we left the place and informed police. After that what happened I have no idea."

Sumiur Rahman, additional superintendent of police (Nagarkanda and Saltha) said, "A fundamentalist group took the opportunity under the cover of common people. Bangabandhu's mural was also attacked. They also blocked the road by logs, the reason for which police from district headquarters could not come."

Superintendent of Police of Faridpur Md Alimujjaman said people getting killed in police fire was just a rumor.