Case filed against attackers

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday filed a case accusing 46 persons in connection with the attack on on-duty traffic police personnel in Chittagong city's New Market intersection area on Sunday noon.

Traffic Sergeant Mazharul Alam Sohag of CMP's North Division filed the case, naming six persons and 40 unidentified attackers with Kotwali Police Station.

The accused are Shibu Bhattacharia, Rasel Uddin Joy, Md Ador, Md Faisal Alam, Md Miraj, and Md Enam, said police. All of them are inhabitants of Sadarghat and adjacent areas. Of them Rasel is a third year student of political science of Govt City College while Enam is the first year student of Economics there.

“The case was lodged under the Sections 143, 186, 332, 353, 307, 427 and 506 of Penal Code, for attacking on-duty policemen and obstruction of discharging government duty,” Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammed Mohsin of Kotwali police Station told The Daily Star.

On Sunday noon, a group of youths attacked on-duty traffic police in the city's New Market area after police sued a biker as he rode on the wrong side of the road. The youths also tried to vandalise the traffic police box during the scuffle, but police later refrained them.

The incident comes amid the ongoing traffic week across the country, after school and college students launched a countrywide demonstration demanding safe roads.

According to the case statement, Faisal was riding his motorbike along with Miraj on the wrong side of Kalibari-New Market road when police halted the bike and filed a case over it. Later, Miraj called his associates over phone and around 30 to 40 youths rushed to the spot shortly after, led by accused Shibu, Ador and Enam.

Gathering in front of New Market traffic box, the accused verbally abused police officials and at one point they started assaulting police, said the case statement. They manhandled constable Mamun, tore apart his uniform and tried to strangle him.

On information, a team of police from Kotwali Station rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.