Illegal Lottery, Draw at Kutubdia

Mob beat up AL men suspecting cheating

150 hurt in clash, police station ransacked

1 October 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Cox's Bazar

Over 150 people including seven policemen and 12 Awami League leaders and activists were injured in clashes and police action centring the lottery draw organised by AL leaders at Kutubdia Ideal High School ground on Wednesday night. Suspecting manipulation of the lottery, the participants beat up the organisers. As police went into action, the mob attacked the police station and ransacked it, turning Kutubdia upazila Sadar into a battlefield. "Kutubdia Multipurpose Blind and Crippled Welfare Cooperative Society" organised the lottery at Kutubdia Ideal High School ground on Wednesday. Upazila AL President Syed Ahmed Kutubi and General Secretary Md Nurus Safa are president and secretary of the society. The two AL leaders along with upazila Jubo League President Asadullah Chowdhury, General Secretary Misbah Uddin Yusuf and a few other party leaders arranged selling thousands of Tk 10 lottery tickets in the name of the society in March this year, said police and witnesses. The upazila administration stopped the ticket selling, as the society was not registered with the Directorate of Social Welfare. But later the AL leaders concerned resumed the sale of tickets through 'managing' the administration in July. The organisers, who announced September 30 as the date for the lottery draw, sold 20,000 tickets till the date. They also announced 48 prizes including first prize of Tk 25,000, second prize of Tk 10,000 and third prize of Tk 5,000. Following announcement that the lottery draw would be held at Kutubdia Ideal High School ground at 7:30pm on Wednesday, several thousand people gathered there to witness it. The organisers started the lottery draw at 8:00pm when there was no electricity in the venue. Ignoring objection from the spectators, the organisers went ahead with the draw. When the organisers announced prizes except the top ten winners, agitated people attacked the organisers, injuring at least 12 people including AL leaders Syed Ahmed and Nurus Safa. They also ransacked the draw venue. During the clashes that followed between the mob and police, around 150 people were injured. The situation came under control at around 10:30pm, said Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police Md Sakhawat Hossain. Fifteen seriously injured people were admitted to different hospitals. Police arrested 10 people and a case was filed for attacking the police station and ransacking it, Kutubdia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Yusuf Siddiqui said. A nine-member enquiry committee was formed yesterday morning to probe the incidents involving lottery, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Zafar Alam. A tense situation is prevailing in the area.