The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dildar Hossain Swapan from Feni

At least 30 people, including 16 police officers and constables, were injured in a police-villagers clash at Majlishpur near old Feni airport in Sadar upazila yesterday.

Sources said the clash occurred when the law enforcers went there to acquire land for the proposed Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and some villagers tried to stop the drive.

At about 4:00am police came to the village to arrest agitating villagers, who placed barricade to stop the land acquisition. Police filed three cases against a number of villagers in this connection.

On the other hand, police said some villagers attacked a police patrol when the team went there for performing their regular duty early in the morning.

When police re-enforcement arrived at the spot, the villagers attacked them, too, triggering a fierce clash. Police also opened fire to disperse the angry villagers.

As the situation went beyond control the police fired 147 rounds of gunshots, 37 rounds of rifle shots and lobbed over 20 tear gas shells injuring at least 14 people, four of them-- Jafar Ahmad, Zahadul Islam, Ilais and Russel--with bullet wounds. Many villagers took position on the rooftops and hurled brickbats at the police, sources said.

The area turned into a veritable battlefield in a short time, as hundreds of angry villagers were locked in a fierce clash with the law enforcers.

The protesters hurled brickbats at the police, who were trying to bring the situation under control. Many of the villagers were seen wielding sticks and other homemade weapons.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) Harun-ur-Rashid Hazari, ASP (Circle) Abdul Matin, SIs Abdul Gafur, Rashid Khan and Kabir Hossain and constables Nur Uddin, Linkon Chakam, Dijoton Barua, Sunil Kanti, Rasal, Karim, Suman, Sufian, Alamgir, Saiful and Kamal Uddin, were also among the injured in the clash.

The seven of the injured policemen were admitted to the Feni Sadar Hospital.

As RAB and BDR personnel arrived at the spot to take control of the situation, angry villagers damaged one of the vehicles belonging to the elite police force RAB.

The villagers alleged that at least 100 villagers, including women and children, were injured in the police action.

Later, the law enforcers brought the situation under control and arrested six people from the scene.