Staff Reporter:
Police have detained four people, including an expelled leader of Jubo Dal, over an attack on a local medicine trader in the capital’s Banglamotor area on Thursday night.
Ibn Mizan, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the incident.
Trader Sohan, 45, received injuries to his head after Ferdous Ahammed Saimon, a former leader of Jubo Dal’s Hatirjheel Police Station area unit who has been expelled over extortion allegations, hit him hard with the butt of a pistol.
The strike caused bleeding in Sohan’s head, and he later received first aid treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
According to police and eyewitnesses, around 8pm, a group, led by Ferdous, intercepted Sohan while he was walking near Banglamotor.
The two sides engaged in an altercation, and at one point Ferdous’ group became aggressive. Ferdous hit Sohan’s head hard with his pistol, causing bleeding.
Seeing the commotion, locals approached the site, at which point, Ferdous fired two blank rounds with his firearm.
As people were not deterred, Ferdous and his associates took shelter inside a building, which was subsequently besieged by a group of locals.
A social media video shows people took part in a protest in an alley, denouncing the terrorist and extortion activities of Ferdous in the area.
The agitated locals also torched the motorbike of Ferdous.
Upon hearing the news, police personnel, including Deputy Commissioner Ibn Mizan, went to the spot to contain the situation.
The police eventually detained Ferdous and his two associated from inside the building, and took them to the police station.
Locals alleged that Ferdous has been demanding extortions from locals for a long time and carries out attacks with his goons whenever someone refuses to pay up.
Sajjadul Miraz, joint general secretary of central committee at Jubo Dal, said Ferdous intimidates people and collects extortions from them, for which reason he has been expelled from the group, which functions as the youth wing of ruling BNP.
