Mob snatches two convicts from police station

A mob attacked the Patgram Police Station in Lalmonirhat on Wednesday night and snatched away two convicts from police custody.

Just hours earlier, the escapees, Belal Hossain and Sohel Rana, were each sentenced to one month in prison by a mobile court on extortion charges.

At least 20 people were injured during the attack, including eight police officers. Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of the station, was among the injured.

According to police, some 200 to 250 individuals stormed the police station compound around 10:30pm on Wednesday. They smashed chairs, tables, and computers and ransacked case files. They also broke windows and doors by hurling bricks at them.

OC Mizanur said, "Six of us received treatment at the Patgram Upazila Health Complex."

Two other officers were critically wounded and sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, the OC added

"The attackers snatched the keys to the lockup and broke out two convicts: Belal and Sohel."

Police fired tear gas shells to disperse them but failed to quell the situation. Later, reinforcements from Lalmonirhat Sadar, Hatibandha, and Kaliganj police stations, as well as members of the army and BGB, arrived at the scene.

The OC alleged that many of the attackers were known to him as having ties to the local unit of the BNP and its affiliated organisations.

However, Waliur Rahman Sohel, secretary of BNP's Patgram upazila unit, denied the accusations.

"None of our party activists were involved in the attack. The two detainees are not affiliated with the BNP. A particular political group is trying to falsely implicate the BNP to mislead the public."

Earlier that evening, a mobile court led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Uttam Kumar Das apprehended Belal and Sohel while they were allegedly extorting money from transport workers in the Sororbazar area on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway, near Patgram town.

UNO Uttam, executive magistrate of the mobile court, sentenced both men to one month in prison.

Speaking on the matter, Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner HM Raqib Haider said, "The accused were directly involved in illegal toll collection on the highway. The mobile court sentenced them in accordance with the law."

Contacted, Lalmonirhat Superintendent of Police Torikul Islam said the police are preparing to file a case over the attack.