Police, villagers in Gopalganj beat up agitating students

17 December 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Gopalganj

At least 30 students of Gopalganj Polytechnic Institute were injured as police and villagers swooped on them during a road blockade programme at Gopalganj yesterday. Students of the institute put up a barricade on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Chandra Digholia bus stand at around 11:00am to press their demand for holding examinations and withdrawal of programme by the teachers and employees appointed under development sector. The agitating students alleged that a police team led by the officer-in-charge of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station came to the spot at noon and started beating up the students. Some people of the nearby village also sided with the law enforcers and beat up the students, they added. Ali Akbar, one of the injured, said police along with some villagers foiled their peaceful programme and beat up the students. They demanded punishment to those responsible for the attack. Contacted, Gopalganj Additional Police Superintendent Haider Ali Khan said a magistrate was present on the spot. Whatever police did, they did it at the directive of the magistrate. “If the local people have done something wrong, police will take action against them,” he said.