At least four people, including a police constable and two journalists, were injured after police fired blank shots to disperse a crowd attempting to seize a man accused of attempted rape on Thursday night.
The incident occurred in the Chairmanghata area of Bakalia. Police and local sources said Monir Hossain, 35, an employee of a local decoration shop, allegedly tried to rape a four-year-old girl by taking her inside the shop.
Angry residents staged protests in the evening after news of the alleged assault spread. Police arrived and detained the accused, but a mob blocked the police vehicle while he was being taken to the station, demanding that he be handed over. Protesters also set a police vehicle on fire, destroying it.
Police fired blank shots to bring the situation under control, resulting in injuries to four people, including journalists Mamun Abdullah and Nobel Hasan, and a constable. Mamun was hit in the waist, while Nobel suffered injuries to his hand and leg while livestreaming the event on Facebook.
The injured were first taken to Chattogram General Hospital and later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Officer-in-Charge of Bakalia Police Station, Mohammad Solaiman, said the situation was stabilised around 11:30 pm, and the accused remained in custody. The child was sent to hospital for a medical examination, he added.
