No case filed over attack on Indian Assistant High Commission, 12 detainees released
No case has been filed in connection with the incident so far
Police have released all 12 protesters detained following an attack on the residence and office of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram's Khulshi area.
No case has been filed in connection with the incident so far.
The incident took place 2am on Thursday (18 December). Video footage of the incident circulating on social media shows a group of protesters repeatedly hurling bricks and stones at the main gate of the Assistant High Commissioner's residence. Several members of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) were seen standing near the gate during the attack without taking immediate action.
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Police later detained 12 protesters from the scene. However, Khulshi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman told The Business Standard this morning that no case has been filed regarding the incident, and the detainees were released yesterday following directives from the CMP commissioner.
Earlier, CMP Commissioner Hasib Aziz visited the site and briefed journalists, saying that a large gathering of around 1,000 people had assembled in the area, extending up to MA Aziz College. He said police forces initially engaged with the crowd and managed to disperse them, but within minutes, a group of 50 to 60 people emerged from a nearby slum area and resorted to violence by throwing bricks and stones at the premises.
According to the commissioner, some of the projectiles crossed the main gate and landed five to ten feet inside the compound, causing minor injuries to several police personnel stationed inside. He said no major damage was reported and that all officials of the Indian Assistant High Commission were safe and unharmed.
Hasib Aziz also said police used sound grenades and tear gas to disperse the attackers and detained 12 individuals, including one organiser of the violent group. He had earlier stated that a case would be filed under the Speedy Trial Act. However, attempts to contact him later for further clarification were unsuccessful, as he declined phone calls.
The incident took place amid heightened tensions in Chattogram following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inquilab Mancha. On Thursday night, after news of his death spread, students and members of the public took to the streets in protest.
At around 11:15pm, the protesters marched toward the Khulshi residence of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner, where they blocked roads and demanded that Hadi's killer be brought back to Bangladesh from India, dead or alive, within 24 hours. Thousands of people reportedly gathered at the site before police eventually persuaded them to disperse.
A short while later, another group arrived at the location, engaged in arguments with the police, and began throwing bricks at the residence gate. Police responded by firing tear gas and sound grenades to control the situation, while members of the army were also deployed in the area.
Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Dhaka on 12 December and was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died while undergoing treatment.
Following the news of his death, widespread protests broke out across Dhaka and several other districts late Thursday night, with demonstrations continuing into the early hours of today.
