Followers snatch murder accused in handcuffs after attacking police vehicle in Jaintapur

In Jaintapur, Sylhet, followers of Awami League leader Zakaria Mahmud attacked a police vehicle, vandalised it and snatched him away in handcuffs. Tension and a grim atmosphere prevail in the area following the incident.

Police arrested him at around 7 pm on Monday (November 9) from the Haripur Bazar area of the upazila. On the way to the police station, his followers attacked the police vehicle near the Karichar bridge and snatched him away.

Zakaria Mahmud is the joint office secretary of the banned Jaintapur upazila Awami League. He is a named accused in a murder case.

Local sources said Jaintapur police carried out the raid on secret information that Zakaria Mahmud, a fugitive accused in a murder case and several other cases, was staying at an outlet of a sweetmeat company near Haripur Bazar. He was arrested in the raid.

Later, while he was being taken to the police station in the police vehicle, his followers stopped the vehicle as it reached the Karichar bridge area. They vandalised the police vehicle and snatched Zakaria Mahmud, still in handcuffs, from the police personnel on duty, and fled quickly.

Tension and a grim atmosphere have prevailed in the area since the incident. Police are conducting operations to re-arrest the snatched accused and bring those involved in the attack under the law.

Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla, officer-in-charge of Jaintapur police station, said police operations were continuing to re-arrest the accused who was snatched away in handcuffs and to bring those involved in the incident under the law.

Dr Chowdhury Md Jaber Sadek, superintendent of police of Sylhet, told Dhaka Post that police had already begun work to identify those involved in attacking the police and snatching the accused away in handcuffs.

He said several police teams were conducting operations to re-arrest the snatched accused and bring the attackers under the law. No one involved in the incident would be spared, he said, adding that they would be arrested in the shortest possible time and legal action would be taken against them.

Although several police teams are conducting operations, there was no news of the accused or any of the attackers being arrested immediately after the incident. The police operation continues amid the tense atmosphere in the area.