Police have arrested 18 people in connection with an attack on Agailjhara Police Station in Barishal, where officers were assaulted and parts of the station were vandalised following rumours of the death of an accused in custody.
A case has been filed against 43 named individuals and more than 200 unidentified people over the incident, Barishal Superintendent of Police (SP) AZM Mostafizur Rahman said.
“We are conducting drives to arrest the remaining accused. Additional police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order,” the SP said.
He added that police are analysing CCTV footage and other evidence to identify those involved in the attack. Several overnight raids were conducted until Friday morning as part of the ongoing operation.
The violence broke out on Thursday after rumours spread that Riaz Fakir, an accused in several cases, had died in police custody.
Police said Riaz was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a theft case. According to CCTV footage, he injured himself by repeatedly hitting his head against the lock-up wall.
He was later admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for treatment.
As rumours of his death spread on Thursday afternoon, hundreds of people carrying sticks gathered at the police station and launched an attack, police said.
The attackers allegedly assaulted the station’s duty officer, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdul Halim, and vandalised parts of the police station. Police later used batons to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.
At least 15 people, including six police personnel, were injured during the clashes.
Meanwhile, Riaz’s family alleged that he was injured due to police torture after his arrest. They also claimed that police assaulted them when they went to the station after hearing reports of his death.
Police denied the allegations, saying the situation turned volatile after Riaz’s father, Siddiq Fakir, spread rumours about his son’s death, which led to the attack on the police station and assaults on law enforcement personnel.
Agailjhara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Masud Khan said the attack was carried out by more than a hundred people after rumours spread about Riaz’s death.
“Eighteen people have so far been arrested. The remaining attackers will be identified and brought under the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Police Service Association has condemned the attack on police personnel, describing such incidents as a reflection of a “new mob culture” and a criminal offence.
In a statement, the association’s president Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin and general secretary Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) Shamima Parveen urged citizens not to be misled by rumours and called for respect for the law and maintenance of public order.
The Bangladesh Police Association has also strongly condemned the attack on Agailjhara Police Station in Barishal, saying such incidents pose a direct threat to state institutions, the justice system and public safety.
In a separate statement, the association’s president Kamrul Hasan Talukder and general secretary Monirul Haque Dablu said attacks on law enforcement agencies undermine the rule of law.
They called for a thorough investigation to determine whether any planned provocation or organised involvement was behind the incident.
The association urged authorities to identify all those involved in the attack and bring them to justice.
