Two die in clash between police, protesters in Sylhet

Two people have died in a clash between police and protesters in Sylhet’s Golapganj Upazila.

The incident occurred in the Upazila’s Dhaka Dakshin Bazar area around 11:30am on Sunday.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Sudarshan Sen said in the afternoon that the bodies of the two were brought to the hospital.

One of the victims has been identified as Taj Uddin, 43, a businessman from the Upazila’s Dharabahar village.

The locals said the protesters gathered in front of the Upazila’s Dhaka Dakshin Bahumukhi High School around 11am when police tried to move there. When the protesters chased the law enforcers, they left the scene.

Additional police personnel chased the protesters afterwards. Police opened fire when a clash erupted between the groups, leaving many people injured with gunshots.

Gopalganj Police Station chief did not respond to call for a comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, another clash took place between police and the students and the general public in Sylhet city.

Soumitra Chakraborty, deputy director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, said at 3:40pm: “A total of 24 people received treatment at the hospital as of now. One of them is in critical condition. The pressure of patients is increasing in the hospital’s emergency department.”