UNO assaulted by mob as freedom fighter beaten

Injured freedom fighter Kazi Mahbubul Alam, left, being taken to hospital after locals rescued him breaking open the door of Nalchhiti land revenue office where he was allegedly beaten. Photo: STAR

A mob assaulted the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and damaged property at Nalchhiti land revenue office yesterday following torture of a freedom fighter allegedly by the UNO's men and some land officials.
Police rescued and escorted UNO Sekandar Hayat Rizvi to Nalchhiti police station. Local people rescued injured freedom fighter Kazi Mahbubul Alam Latu from the land revenue office and took him to Barisal SBMCH hospital.
The UNO lodged a case against the freedom fighter and some local journalists who went there to cover the incident.
Jhalakati Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Ranjit Kumar Das visited the spot.
Eye witnesses and other sources said Kazi Mahbubul Alam Latu, former organising secretary of Jhalakathi upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad, went to take possession of a piece of land at College Road near in front of upazila land revenue office area at about 6-00am yesterday.
Mahbubul Alam said he got a court verdict in his favour for possession of five decimal land, also claimed by the government. He claimed that it was his ancestral property.
Sources claimed that some others in the area also want to gab the land.
The UNO, accompanied by his driver and some land revenue officials came to the spot at about 6-45 am. An altercation with Kazi Mahbub ensued.
Some land officials and UNO's men allegedly beat Kazi Mahbub and confined him in the land revenue office. They also snatched the camera of Jugantar's local correspondent Maniruzaman Monir and assaulted him.
The incident drew people from nearby areas, who laid a siege to the land office for about two hours, demanding release of Kazi Mahbub.
At about 8:30 am, the people became violent and rescued Kazi Mahbub in an injured condition, the witnesses said. The UNO was also assaulted and some property of the land office were damaged, witnesses said.
Police rushed to the spot, rescued the UNO and escorted him to Nalchhiti police station. They controlled the situation with the help of local municipal chairman Masud Khan. Police was deployed.
The UNO lodged a case against Kazi Mahbub, journalist Monir and some others.
Kazi Mahbub claimed that he got an order in his favour from Second Joint District Judge court in Jhalakati on January 10 regarding the land.
But the UNO said the government has filed an appeal to higher court against the verdict. If Kazi Mahbub gets court order in his favour, it is government's responsibility to give him possession of the land, he said.
The UNO did not say anything when asked whether the higher court gave any stay order on the court verdict.
“We only tried to save public property from a land grabber and did not assault any body”, the UNO said.
He also alleged that Kazi Mahbub's men confined him inside the land revenue office and damaged office property.
Md. Habibur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Nalchhiti police station, confirmed the incident.
The Upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad protested the alleged attack on Kazi Mahbub and said it would announce an agitation programme from Sunday.
Journalist Monir said he went to Nalchhiti police station to file a case but was refused. He said he will lodge a case with judicial magistrate court.