Forest staffer killed, 3 injured

Encroachers yesterday killed a staffer of Chittagong divisional forest office and injured three others during an eviction drive in Hasnabad Range of Fatikchhari reserve forest.

The attackers, 25 to 30 in number, including women, swopped on the forest employees with lethal weapons and killed Abdus Salam, 55, a gardener of Chittagong divisional forest office, said Hasnabad Range Officer Khasrul Amin, who led the drive. 

Contacted, Chittagong Divisional Forest Officer Bakhtiar Nur Siddique said, “The forest officials and staffers came under attack as they went there to remove illegal structures built on encroached land of the reserve forest.”

“The illegal houses on the reserve forest land were built by one Nazrul and his accomplices,” said Range Officer Khasrul.

Abdullah Al Masum, additional superintendent of police in Hathazari Circle, said, “In raids following the incident, police detained nine persons from the spot and surrounding areas.”

They were being interrogated and further raids were being conducted to identify and arrest the killers, he added.

Police sent the body to Chittagong Medical College for an autopsy.