One killed as villagers clash with police

A youth was killed and around 30 others were injured in a clash between villagers and policemen when cops arrested a Chhatra Dal leader from Janatabazar village in Bhola's Sadar upazila last night.

The dead, Noman Jamaddar, 30, was the son of Bellal Jamaddar of the village, Nizam Sikdar, sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station, told this correspondent.

The clash ensued when police went to the village around 8:00pm and arrested Mizanur Rahman, president of Janatabazar union unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, in a case over polls violence.

Following the arrest and a rumour that police tortured him, the villagers attacked the law enforcers and besieged a makeshift police outpost there, the police official said.

At one stage, the law enforcers were forced to fire blank shots to bring the situation under control, he added.

“Noman died on the spot during the clash,” he said, adding that police were not sure whether Noman was killed in police firing.

A woman with bullet injuries was admitted to Bhola Sadar Hospital in a critical condition.

Police could not recover the body of Noman from the villagers and reach their outpost set up inside a home in the village till 11:30pm, sources said, adding that locals put a barricade on the street.