2 SAD activists attacked in Chattogram hours after filing GD over death threats
Individuals related to the victims claimed that supporters of BNP candidate for Chattogram-14 Mohammad Jasim Uddin Ahmed were behind the attack.
Two activists of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) platform were attacked in Chandanaish of Chattogram just three hours after filing a general diary (GD) alleging death threats.
The incident occurred at around 11:30pm on 16 January in the Badurpara area along the Chattogram –Cox's Bazar highway.
The injured are Hasnat Abdullah, a gazetted "July fighter" and executive member of the Chattogram South district unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Moin Uddin Mahin, an activist of the SAD's metropolitan unit.
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Both were admitted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Chandanaish Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Golam Sarwar told TBS that police are aware of the incident.
"The victims had filed a GD earlier, and we are investigating the matter accordingly. However, no written complaint has yet been filed over the attack," he said.
According to the victims, Hasnat and Mahin were returning to Chandanaish from Patiya in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw when they were intercepted by a group of 10–12 assailants in Badurpara around 11pm.
The attackers, wearing masks and armed with sticks and sharp weapons, reportedly dragged them out of the vehicle and assaulted them indiscriminately, stabbing them multiple times.
In a video message, Moin Uddin Mahin said they had received death threats earlier in the evening and filed a GD at Chandanaish Police Station around 8pm.
"While returning from Patiya around 11:30pm, Jasim's hired goons [BNP-nominated Chattogram-14 constituency parliamentary candidate] attacked us," he alleged.
Individuals related to the victims claimed that supporters of Mohammad Jasim Uddin Ahmed were behind the attack.
They said Hasnat and Mahin had been organising protests, including human chains, since 10 January, demanding the cancellation of Jasim Uddin's nomination over his alleged controversial role during the July Uprising and accusations of being aligned with the Awami League government.
Md Sazzad Hossain, joint coordinator of the NCP Chattogram South district coordination committee, told The Business Standard that Jasim Uddin's supporters were angered by the ongoing protests.
"This was a planned attack driven by that anger," he claimed.
Attempts to contact BNP's Jasim Uddin were unsuccessful as he could not be reached by phone.
Meanwhile, Hasan Ali, a "July fighter" and central joint convener of the NCP, expressed strong condemnation of the attack.
In a Facebook post, he termed the incident "unacceptable" and warned of serious consequences for those involved, calling on students and local residents of Chandanaish to remain united.
