8 policemen injured in Hefazat attack on Chhatak police station

At least eight policemen were injured in an attack by Hefazat-e-Islam activists on Chhatak police station in Sunamganj.

The incident took place on Saturday night, when the activists of the Islamist group were staging demonstrations over news that Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque had been kept in police custody at a resort in Narayanganj.

After Esha prayers, a large number of activists took to the streets of Chhatak. They staged demonstrations and a procession.

At one stage, they chased five to seven on-duty policemen from the Traffic Point intersection to the police station. The Hefazat men then attacked the police station, pelting it brick chips and vandalizing its waiting room. 

Police fired blanks in self-defence and later detained nine suspects.

Sunamganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Mizanur Rahman visited the spot and said legal action will be taken against the perpetrators after investigation.

Also Read - Hefazat activists snatch Mamunul away from Narayanganj resort

Chhatak police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Nazim Uddin said the injured policemen received first aid at Chhatak Upazila Health Complex.

"Nine people have been apprehended so far over the attack incident," he added, mentioning that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)  was working with police to apprehend the other perpetrators.

Additional law enforcement officials have been deployed in the area to deter any further incidents.

Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam activists snatched Mamunul Haque away from the resort in Narayanganj, where he was kept in police custody on Saturday, after locals found him with a woman who the Islamist leader claimed to be his wife.

Hundreds of Hefazat supporters ran riot in Sonargaon upazila around 8pm, vandalizing the Royal Resort and the upazila unit office of the ruling Awami League, before taking their leader to a nearby field where he reportedly ordered the agitated activists to calm down.