Illegal sand lifters chase UNO, critically injure UP chairman

A UP chairman was critically injured as a group of illegal sand lifters attacked an inspection team led by Ghoraghat UNO at the site yesterday noon.
Victim Md Mofazzal Hossain Prodhan, is Chairman of Bulakipur union under the upazila and president of the UP unit of ruling AL.
According to the locals, a group of illegal sand lifters, led by one Atwar of Pirganj upazila under Rangpur district, had been taking away sand from the riverbed of Karatoa near Kulanandapur village in Ghoraghat upazila for long.
People of the area protested the matter several times but to no effect.
Recently, they officially complained to the UNO urging her to stop the illegal sand lifting from Karatoa.
At around 1:30pm yesterday, Maksuda Begum Siddiqua, UNO of Ghoraghat, Mofazzal Hossain, UP chairman and president of Bulakipur Union AL, along with police force went to the spot.
As they arrived there, about 100 people, equipped with different types of lethal weapons including knives and wooden sticks, swooped on them and chased the UNO.
However police swung into action and rescued her.
But the criminals, led alleged by Atwar, caught the UP chairman and tried to slit his throat. Villagers rescued him in critical condition and took him to Ghoraghat upazila health complex.
The attending doctors at the health complex later shifted Mofazzal to Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
A large number of police have been deployed in the area to avoid any further clash between the villagers and sand lifters.
Sources said Atwar, a resident of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur was behind the attack on UNO and UP chairman.
Contacted, UNO Maksuda Begum said she along with other officials went to visit the site but all of a sudden attacked them.
Meanwhile, hearing the news, the villagers of Bulakipur union blocked a highway in the evening, protesting attack on the UP chairman.
Ghoraghat police said hundreds of villagers blocked Dinajpur-Dhaka highway in Raniganj area and Hakimpur-Bogra link road in Dugdugi area of the upazila at about 6:00pm.
The road communication with different district remained cut off for hours.
The protesters also burning tyres at different points of the roads demanding arrest of the culprits who attacked Mofazzal Hossain.
Around 200 vehicles remained stranded at different points of Dinajpur-Dhaka highway and Hakimpur-Bogra link road causing immense sufferings to the passengers, witnesses said.