Madrasah students disrupt police cultural programme in Brahmanbaria, 20 injured in baton charge
An argument over loud music escalated after more than 100 madrasa students entered the police lines, prompting police to baton-charge them.
A cultural programme organised by the Brahmanbaria district police was disrupted after madrasah students entered the venue and allegedly vandalised it, prompting police to baton-charge them and injuring at least 20 people.
The incident took place at around 11:30pm yesterday (18 August) at the district police lines in West Medda area of Brahmanbaria town. The injured were treated at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital.
According to police and local sources, the district police organised the cultural programme at the police lines to mark the arrival of Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Quddus Chowdhury in Brahmanbaria.
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The programme continued even after the DIG attended the event and left. Students of the neighbouring Jamia Darul Arkam Al-Islamia Madrasah later went to the police lines and asked the organisers to lower the volume of the music.
An argument broke out between the two sides over the issue. Tension escalated when more than 100 madrasah students entered the police lines, prompting police to baton-charge them to bring the situation under control.
Several students of Jamia Darul Arkam Al-Islamia Madrasah said their examinations were scheduled for today and the loud music was causing problems for them.
They said a few students initially went to the police lines and requested that the volume be lowered. Although the volume was reduced at first, the music was later played loudly again.
They alleged that police baton-charged the madrasah students during an ensuing argument. The students demanded exemplary punishment over the incident and warned of a tougher movement otherwise.
Meanwhile, to bring the situation under control, Superintendent of Police Shah Md Abdur Rauf held an immediate meeting with Sajidur Rahman, founder of Jamia Darul Arkam Al-Islamia Madrasah and secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.
At the meeting, representatives of the madrasah students warned that they would launch a tougher movement unless the police stopped organising music programmes at the police lines in the future, ensured proper treatment for the injured students and conducted a fair investigation into the incident and took action against those responsible.
The police superintendent was contacted several times for comment, but he did not answer the calls.
