Jamaat, Shibir bash head of cop in Dinajpur

Alleged activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir thrashed the head of a policeman and injured 13 of his colleagues at Chirirbandar in Dinajpur during hartal hours Tuesday.

Three Jamaat-Shibir activists also sustained injuries during the 25-minute clash that ensued around 11:20am in Hazirmore area, Debdas Bhattacharya, superintendent of police (SP) in Dinajpur, told The Daily Star.

Critically injured Abdus Sabur, a sub-inspector (SI) of Special Branch of police, was transferred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, our correspondent reported quoting the SP.

SI Sabur was first rushed to Dinajpur Medical College. But doctors there referred him to Rangpur as his condition deteriorated, the SP said.

Around 2,000 Jamaat-Shibir activists put barricades on Chirirbandar road as they took to the roads to enforce a daylong shutdown.

They torched three motorcycles there.

As police tried to resist the marauding activists, the latter attacked police with sticks and brick chips, compelling the law enforcers to fire 20 rounds rubber bullets, said Tariqul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chirirbandar Police Station.

Police also lobbed seven teargas shells to disperse the rioting activist, the OC said.

At one stage, the Jamaat-Shibir men came to know the identity of SI Sabur, who was in plainclothes, and attacked him.

The activists beat him up indiscriminately at first. As he collapsed on the ground, they thrashed his head with bricks, the OC added.

In the face of police resistance, the Jamaat-Shibir activists later fled the scene.