Attack on mobile court in Boda, situation brought under control with army intervention

A government official was attacked while conducting a mobile court in Boda upazila of Panchagarh. The incident took place during a drive led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Ashraful Islam in Boda Bazar area before Maghrib prayers on Tuesday (November 11).

Sources said that during the drive, two business establishments were fined a total of Tk 4,500 for storing banned polythene and a huge quantity of polythene was seized. While the seized goods were being taken away in a van, the angry crowd started chanting slogans against the court as ‘fake magistrate’.

The situation gradually became heated. The crowd snatched the seized polythene from the van and attacked the court’s peshkar. When the peshkar tried to escape, some people caught hold of him and physically assaulted him.

When the Executive Magistrate arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control, he had an argument with the angry crowd. At one stage, the police detained two people and brought them to the land office. However, the crowd continued to protest outside the office.

When the situation got out of control, the army intervened and removed the crowd and the situation calmed down.

Executive Magistrate Md. Ashraful Islam said,

“The mobile court was obstructed in its operation and the performance of government duties was obstructed. The angry crowd looted the seized goods of the court, which were later recovered.”

Two people named Haider Ali and Hasan Ali were arrested in this incident. Of these, Hasan Ali was sentenced to 12 days in prison by the mobile court. A regular case has been filed against another Haider Ali and 16 others at Boda Police Station on charges of obstructing government work and assaulting a government employee.

Boda Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Jawanul Mondal admitted the truth of the incident and said that appropriate action will be taken against the culprits through investigation.