BGB deployed in Borhanuddin as 4 killed in police-mob clash

Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed in Borhanuddin area in Bhola following a clash between police personnel and local people today leaving four people killed and dozens others injured.

Four platoons of BGB personnel have been deployed in Borhanuddin upazila area since this evening to maintain law and order there, our Bhola correspondent reports quoting local administration.

Four people were killed and dozens others injured in the clash between police and local people while people were demonstrating on Borhanuddin upazila Eidgaaon ground about 11 am, demanding the punishment of a youth who reportedly hurt religious sentiment through Facebook’s messenger app.

Mahfuz Patwari (23), Shaheen (25), Mizan (30) and Mahbub Patwari (16) were killed, police said.

Failing to control the situation, law-enforcers had to fire rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, according to local administration and police.

Seemingly designed to hurt religious sentiments, the conversation went viral through social media in the locality since October 18, and the Facebook ID holder himself went to the Borhanuddin Police Station in the afternoon on the day and filed a general diary saying his Facebook ID was hacked.

Police and local administration brought the situation on Saturday night under control with the help of local Imams, religious leaders and local leaders.

But, Bhola Police Super Sarkar M Kawar said, a group of people built a stage and set loudspeakers here this morning while a section of them went violent.

Their protest rally over, the mob was trying to bring out a procession and resort to vandalism in the town, he said.

When police resisted the mob, the protesters targeted police, throwing brick-chips at them and forcing them to take shelter in a nearby room, Sarkar said.

At present, a huge number of police have been deployed there and the situation is now under control, he said.