Handcuffed Awami League leader snatched from police custody in Sylhet

Collected Photo

Jaintiapur Correspondent : A group of people vandalised a police vehicle and forcibly freed a handcuffed Awami League leader from police custody while officers were taking him to a police station in Sylhet’s Jaintiapur upazila last night.

The leader was identified as Zakaria Mahmud, deputy office secretary of the Jaintiapur upazila unit of Awami League, whose activities remain banned, said Jaintiapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla.

Police arrested Zakaria from Haripur Bazar around 7:00pm yesterday. Five cases are pending against him at the police station, he added.While police were taking him to the station, another vehicle blocked their way near Karich Bridge in Haripur. Several people then forcibly pulled Zakaria, still handcuffed, out of the police vehicle and vandalised it, the OC said.

Police conducted overnight raids following the incident and detained three people allegedly involved in the snatching.

The detainees were identified as Md Shad Uddin, Md Azizur Rahman and Fahim Ahmed. Police said all three were affiliated with the Awami League or its associate organisations.

OC Mahbubur said operations were also under way to recapture Zakaria.

Police had filed a case over the incident. The three detainees were arrested in the case and would be sent to court, he said.