A police sub-inspector was injured as he was allegedly attacked by the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its front organisations after a flash procession in the Ishan Mistrirhat Khalpar area in Chattogram city Monday night.
The injured officer, Abu Sayeed Rana, of Bandar police station, is now undergoing treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, the police said.
The police claimed that they, in an overnight drive following the procession, arrested 18 activists of the Awami League, Chhatra League and Juba League for their suspected involvement in bringing out the procession and attacking the police officer.
The arrestees are Md Hasan, 22, Zahid Hasan, 23, Monir Hossain, 28, Shahadat Hossain, 49, Md Delwar, 20, Mohammad Delwar, 28, Amit Hasan Shanto, 25, Md Abdul Azim, 55, Md Iqbal, 32, Mosharof alias Saheb, 49, Md Rabbi Sarkar, 23, Mohammad Tasrif, 25, Salauddin Badsha, 52, Nur Uddin Masum, 42, Md Nur Uddin, 47, Imtiajur Rahman, 19, Md Rimon, 29, and Md Tipu, 24, according to a statement issued by the Chattogram Metropolitan Police.
The interim government had earlier banned the Chhatra League and imposed restrictions on the activities of the Awami League and its affiliated, associate and like-minded organisations.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police鈥檚 assistant commissioner for Bandar Zone Mahmudul Hasan said that the police officer came under attack at about 11:50pm on Monday in the Ishan Mistri Hat Khalpar area.
He, however, could not ascertain the number of participants in the flash procession.
AC Mahmudul said that a group of leaders and activists of the Awamai League, Chhatra League and Juba League brought out a flash procession in the area at about 11.30pm on Monday.
Receiving the information, a police team from Bandar Police Station rushed to the spot, he said.
The CMP statement said that the police began a raid in the area at about 11:50pm on Monday, and Sayeed was injured when the AL 鈥榤iscreants鈥�, armed with locally-made weapons, suddenly swooped on him.
It said that they arrested 18 people during the raid that ended at about 4:00am on Tuesday.
Two cases have been filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Arms Act with Bandar Police Station, AC Mahmudul said.
He said that the 18 arrestees were produced before a metropolitan magistrate court in Chattogram and the court sent them to jail.
