A school headmistress and four of her family members were injured in an attack allegedly carried out by a local Awami League leader and his men in Narayanganj's Sonargaon upazila last night.

The attack was carried out to shut down the school to carry on their illegal sand trading, reports our Narayanganj correspondent quoting the victim.

"The attackers looted gold ornaments and cash and later set fire to the house," said the victim Morium Akhter, headmistress of the private school, "Mayadwip Shishu Patshala" -- established in 2007 at Mayadwip island in Nunertek village of the upazila's Barodi union.

"Children from low-income families have enrolled in this school where I joined as a teacher in 2009," she said.

Mohammad Hashem, general secretary of Barodi Union Ward-6 unit of AL, and some of his cohorts started illegal sand lifting on the island in 2010 causing severe river erosion, said Morium.

The school also faced the risk of losing its building to river erosion. Later, the gang was forced to stop sand lifting due to public outrage which later made them furious, she said.

"The gang attacked the school and the school owner Shahed Kayes multiple times after the incident. They kept threatening us to shut it down. But we did not," said Morium.

"Finally, a group of around 15 to 20 men led by Hashem attacked me and my family around 9:30pm yesterday. They looted my gold ornaments and Tk 50,000 in cash and set fire to our house," she said.

Morium also alleged that she wanted to file a case against the attackers. But the police did not record the case. "Rather, they recorded a complaint."

Talking to The Daily Star, several people of the village alleged that the gang often committed different types of crime using the ruling party's tag.

A man named Mehedi was identified as one of the attackers in the teacher's residence. Mehedi is the son of one Osman Member, a former president of the same ward unit of AL, according to locals.

However, Hashem's phone was found switched off when this correspondent tried to contact him over the phone.

When contacted, Osman Member said it was not any kind of attack for shutting the school. "Rather, it was a scuffle with the teacher's brother due to the previous rivalry," he alleged.

Osman, however, did not elaborately say what type of rivalry was between the two of them.

Shafiqul Islam, inspector (Investigation) of Sonargaon Police Station said, "We have received a complaint regarding the matter. We are investigating the incident. We will surely bring the criminals under book."