Staff Reporter:
Five police personnel sustained critical injuries as Chhatra Dal activists attacked them with sharp weapons to free their detained companion near the New Market Police Station in the capital in the early hours Friday.
Later, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mostafizur Rahman put detainee Mohammad Hossain Mithun on one-day remand, and sent six of his supporters to jail for attempting to forcibly free him from police custody.
Chhatra Dal (JCD) has suspended the membership of Mithun and another named Riazul Hasan, both central committee post holders, due to breach organisational code. Stricter punishment would be enforced against the duo following an organisational probe, JCD said in a Friday night press release.
Mithun was arrested from the Purbachal area early Friday on allegations of being complicit in a violent attack on computer trader Ehteshamul Haque at Elephant Road area on 10 January.
The attack on the businessman was allegedly carried out at the behest of a notorious extortion racket run by terrorist Emon as the racket failed to get its desired extortion money from Ehteshamul despite issuing repeated threats to life.
Mithun worked to collect extortion money for Emon in Dhanmondi zone. According to the confessions by a suspect in the 10 January attack case, Mithun ordered the attack on businessman Ehteshamul.
On Friday, when police were bringing Mithun to New Market Police Station on a vehicle, his fellows obstructed the convoy and tried to snatch the Chhatra Dal activist from custody. The attacked the police with iron rods, sticks and machetes, but subsequently had to flee in the face of stiff resistance.
New Market Zone Police Assistant Commissioner Tarik Latif and Sub-Inspectors Arab Ali, Firoz Ahmed and Khondoker Mesbah were among the injured.
Police managed to detain six of the attackers, and later filed a separate case against them.
