Panchagarh clash leaves 2 killed and at least 50 hurt

PBC NEWS DESK: Two men were killed and at least 50 people sustained injuries in the clash of a section of Muslim devotees and police demanding the closure of a Qadiani Salana Jalsa in Panchagarh town on Friday.

The clash also caused at least 30 houses and several shops to be vandalized.The deceased was identified as Arifur Rahman, 30, son of Farman Ali, resident of Masjidpara area of the district and Eng.

Jahid Hasan, 22, resident of Banpara municipality of Natore district.

Panchagarh district Police Superintendent SM Sirazul Huda and Panchagarh Municipality councilor Mazedur Rahman Chowdhury confirmed the deaths.

Meanwhile, 17 platoons of BGB members have been deployed in the area to control the situation, said Public Relation Officer (PRO)of the BGB Headquarter Md Shariful Islam.

Medical officer of Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital Dr. Rahimul Islam said that 18 injured men are now under treatment in this hospital where 27 people were released after first aid and two of them were transferred to Rangpur Medical College.

Earlier, on Friday afternoon, police fired more than a hundred rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the stone-throwing protesters, witnesses said.Some journalists covering the violence were among the injured.

After the Jummah prayers, devotees gathered from some mosques in Panchagarh municipality area and started a protest march. Then they went to Panchagarh town staging an agitation there.

At one point they marched towards the Qadianis Jalsa in the Ahmed Nagar area.As police stopped the procession at Panchagarh Chowrangi intersection, the protesters became angry and started throwing brickbats at the police in the city’s cinema hall road area.

Police had to move back at one point due to the protest procession. At least 30 people were injured.Shops in Panchagarh town closed as the violence spread panic among the people.The angry mob also looted around 20 houses of the Qadianis located in Ahmednagar.