Pickup allegedly driven at police constable in Thakurgaon after signal defied; driver and aide arrested

A pickup van was allegedly driven at a police constable in Thakurgaon after its driver defied a traffic police signal while officers were on by-election duty, in what police describe as an attempted murder. The driver and his assistant were detained on the spot. On Saturday (24 October), a Thakurgaon judicial court sent them to jail.

The incident took place on Friday (23 October) afternoon in the bus stand roundabout area under Thakurgaon Sadar police station. Ahead of the upcoming by-election in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency, members of the Thakurgaon Sadar traffic police and Sadar police station were on vehicle requisition duty at the bus stand intersection that day.

According to police and the case statement, at around 5:30 pm a yellow pickup, registration Dhaka-Metro-Na-14-4012, approached from the Panchagarh side towards the town intersection when on-duty traffic constable Md Abdus Saleq signalled it to stop. When the vehicle stopped, Constable Saleq asked the driver to take his documents and speak to Sergeant Md Shahajahan Ali.

But instead of showing documents, driver Md Mizanur Rahman (38) and his assistant Md Raihan Alam (23) allegedly tried to speed away. As they fled, they allegedly turned the vehicle sharply to the right and rammed Constable Saleq with intent to kill, dragging him some 10-15 cubits along the road.

Hearing the injured constable's screams, fellow police officers and local pedestrians chased and stopped the pickup. Despite the grave situation, the injured constable miraculously survived. Colleagues rescued him and arranged treatment, though details of his injuries were not immediately available.

The two arrested men are Md Mizanur Rahman of Ward 6 (Jagtha) and Md Raihan Alam of Ward 2 (Raghunathpur) of Pirganj municipality. They were detained immediately after the incident and taken to the police station.

The case's investigating officer, Thakurgaon Sadar police station Sub-Inspector (unarmed) Moniruzzaman, said a case has been filed under the relevant sections of the Penal Code for assaulting a government employee on election duty, attempted murder and obstructing government work. He said the accused admitted the truth of the incident during primary interrogation.

He added that police opposed bail in court, arguing that the investigation was incomplete and could be hampered if the accused were released, and applied for them to be sent to jail. The court later ordered them to jail.

Security and vehicle monitoring have been stepped up in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency ahead of the by-election. The attack on a member of the law enforcement agencies on election duty has also caused concern among locals.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. Further legal steps will follow once the injured constable's treatment and a full account of the incident have been gathered.