Noakhali AL leader's house vandalised

The house of a former Noakhali Zilla Parishad chairman and president of Noakhali Municipality unit of the Awami League, Abdul Wadud Pintu, was vandalised in the Joykrishnapur area of Noakhali town late last night.

The attack came minutes after the interim government announced a ban on all activities of the Awami League until the International Crimes Tribunal completes the trial of the party and its leaders.

Pintu has been in hiding since August 5, the fall of the AL regime following the mass student uprising.

Speaking to reporters, Pintu's wife, Sabrina Mahazbin, provided details of the attack.

Sabrina said she was preparing to have dinner with her two daughters around 11:30pm when over 100 young men on around 50 motorcycles came to their house.

The attackers first destroyed all the CCTV cameras and shattered the glass windows.

"They entered the house and began vandalising our furniture," she said.

"They then set fire to the sofa in the drawing room. I was terrified and took shelter in a room with my daughters. I called the police and army immediately, but the attackers left before the law enforcers arrived," she said.

The assailants also damaged three private vehicles parked in the garage and attacked portions of the house rented out to tenants, Sabrina claimed.

She also said the violence lasted for around 30 minutes. Locals later came to the house and extinguished the fire.

Sudharam Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Kamrul Islam said a section of people, involved in the victory procession following the announcement of AL's ban, attacked the house.

"Upon receiving the information, police and army personnel inspected the scene," he said, adding that no official complaint had yet been filed by the victim's family.

Md Ariful Islam, a district coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, denied any involvement, saying, "After the Awami League was banned at night, we, students, brought out a joyous procession on the road. Police were with us. I don't know who attacked Pintu's house. I didn't even know where it was."