70 hurt as police, BDR fire rubber bullets, tear gas shells

Seriously injured BDR personnel Chand Mia and policeman Bazlur Rahman were admitted to Gobindaganj health complex. None of the injured among the demonstrators went to the hospital fear of being arrested.

The clash took place when police and BDR tried to disperse the demonstrators who barricaded the Rangpur-Bogra highway as per an earlier announced programme.

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Besides indiscriminate baton charge, law enforcers fired 74 rubber bullets and 34 tear gas shells to the demonstrators who replied with brickbats.

The protesters, numbering over 1000, first barricaded the Bonarpara-Santaher rail tract near Mohimaganj railway station by placing the mill's tractor trolleys and laying on it.

This detained a Shantahar-bound local train and the Lalmonirhat-bound Padmarag Express train for two hours.

Police and BDR personnel persuaded them to withdraw the barricade and they obliged.

The demonstrators then paraded 18 kilometres road from Mohimaganj mill area breaking police cordon, and barricaded the Rangpur-Bogra highway at Gobindanganj.

Police and BDR then swung into action, using batons and firing rubber bullets and tear gas shells. The angry demonstrators replied with brickbats, injuring four of the law enforcers and damaging seven vehicles.

People ran for safety and shopkeepers downed their shutters. Traffic on the road was disrupted for over two hours, creating jam on both sides.

Police arrested 14 people.

Gaibandha Police Superintendent later said police went into action in self-defence.

Protesting the law enforcers' action, people observed an undeclared hartal in Mohimaganj mill area yesterday. Police have been deployed in the mill area and at Gobindaganj.

The mill workers and employees have been demonstrating for the last few days protesting a government decision to lay off the mill from March 31.

On Tuesday, they brought out processions and held rallies to withdraw the decision.