Police Vehicle Torched in Gopalganj's Tungipara: 2,224 Accused in Anti-Terrorism Case, Four Arrested

A case has been filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over the vandalism and torching of a police vehicle in Tungipara, Gopalganj, centring on a hartal called by the banned Chhatra League. The case names 224 people from the activities-banned Awami League and its associate organisations. Another 1,500 to 2,000 unidentified people have also been made accused.

Sub-inspector Moslem Ali of Tungipara police station filed the case as plaintiff on Friday.

Tungipara police station officer-in-charge Md Ayub Ali confirmed the case on Friday afternoon. He said four people have been arrested in the incident. The arrested were sent to Gopalganj district jail through a court on Friday afternoon.

According to the case statement, on 10 November leaders and activists of the banned Chhatra League gathered at Patgati Chowrasta in Tungipara upazila and began a blockade by burning tyres on the road.

Members of the Jubo League, Awami League and its front organisations later joined them and brought out a procession, the case statement says.

According to the complaint, at one stage they blocked the road used by the public, committed arson and surrounded the police's government vehicle after blocking its path. It is alleged that they attacked with locally made weapons and smashed all the vehicle's glass by striking different parts of it with sticks.

The case statement says police repeatedly requested them to disperse and leave. The complaint says that, ignoring the requests, they carried out vandalism and at one stage set the vehicle on fire with petrol.

To protect government property and the lives of police members, and in self-defence, police fired 10 rounds of rubber bullets, 5 rounds of tear shells and 3 sound grenades, the case statement says. The situation then came under control.

Local Fire Service members were informed and came to the spot and tried to bring the vehicle's fire under control.

During the same hartal called by the banned Chhatra League, a petrol bomb was also hurled at a branch office of Grameen Bank in Tungipara, Gopalganj, amid slogans of 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu'. There was no damage inside the office, though part of a door was burnt. No one was injured in that incident.