Half-day hartal observed in Gouripur town

People join a procession in Gouripur upazila under Mymensingh district yesterday during the half-day hartal called to press demand for arrest and punishment of the alleged ruling party men who assaulted Farid Uddin, a teacher of Government Mominunnesa Mohila College in the district town, in Kaltapara area in Gouripur on Sunday. PHOTO: STAR

A half-day hartal was observed at Gouripur upazila headquarters yesterday, demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the ruling party men, who assaulted Prof Farid Uddin, a teacher of Government Mominunnessa Mohila College in the district town on Sunday.
Hartal supporters brought out processions and held a rally at Kalikhola in the upazila town. Teachers and students of different schools and colleges and local people joined the processions and rally.
All shops remained shut while the vehicular movement to and from the upazila headquarters was completely suspended during the hartal hours from 6:00am to 12:00noon. The train communication on Mymensingh-Gouripur route was normal.
Police yesterday arrested two AL supporters- Mosharraf Hossain Monu and Ramjan Ali Mukti- from Gouripur for their alleged involvement in the attack, said Mohammad Ali, officer in-charge of Gouripur Police Station. The arrestees were produced in a Mymensingh court yesterday afternoon that sent them to jail, OC added.
 A group of ruling party men intercepted Farid Uddin on way to his home at Kaltapara in Gouripur on Sunday. They provoked him for engaging in an altercation allegedly over his stance taken against local lawmaker Capt (retd) Dr Mujibur Rahman Fakir during the January 5 parliamentary elections. At one stage, they stripped the teacher, took him to the office of the lawmaker and physically assaulted him.
On the same day, Farid Uddin filed a case with Gouripur Police Station, accusing 30 to 40 people, including Faruq Ahmed Fakir, nephew of local lawmaker Mujibur Rahman Fakir.