At least eight activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) were injured in an attack by unidentified miscreants in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital on Wednesday night.
The incident occurred in the Gohailbari area of Shimulia Union, under the jurisdiction of Ashulia Police Station.
The victims were reportedly involved in organising anti-discrimination protests, which have recently gained traction among students and local residents.
All injured individuals were admitted to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar for treatment.
Among the injured are Rifat Ahmed Imon, central organiser of the NCP’s labour wing; Tawhidul Islam Sanvi, joint member secretary of the anti-discrimination student movement in Savar; Hridoy Hasan, senior spokesperson for the Savar chapter; and Tawhid Ahmed Shanto, member secretary of City University’s student chapter, along with four others.
According to Rifat Ahmed Imon, the attack took place while they were visiting the area late at night.
“We were walking around when we noticed a strong, pungent odour. After looking into it, we discovered that illegal lead smelting was taking place at an unauthorised factory. I immediately phoned the officer-in-charge (OC) of Ashulia Police Station, who instructed us to record a video of the situation,” said Imon.
“While returning through Gohailbari after capturing the footage, a group of 20 to 25 armed men arrived in a microbus and on motorcycles. They attacked us with locally made weapons, leaving eight of our activists injured,” he added.
Repeated attempts to contact Ashulia Police Station’s OC, Sohrab Al Hasan, for comment were unsuccessful, as he could not be reached.
The motive behind the assault is believed to be linked to the group’s efforts to expose illegal industrial operations—particularly lead processing—which have been the subject of increasing public concern due to health and environmental risks.
Informal and unregulated lead factories are not uncommon in peri-urban areas like Ashulia, often operating with little oversight and posing serious hazards to surrounding communities.
A formal complaint is expected to be filed in connection with the incident. Authorities have yet to make any arrests or comment officially on the case.