Five cops hurt as locals clash with police at Lalmonirhat

LALMONIRHAT, Nov 10: Five police personnel, including a woman constable, were injured in an attack during a clash with locals over the seizure of an auto-rickshaw in Amtala area of Barabari Union in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila on Monday evening.

The incident took place around 7pm. The injured police personnel received primary treatment at Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

Police said a battery-run auto-rickshaw coming from Fulbari in Kurigram towards Barabari was stopped by five people in Amtala after evening. An argument over the vehicle led to a fight between the two sides.

Hearing the commotion, local residents rushed to the spot and chased those involved. They caught auto-rickshaw driver Ershadul Haque, 35, and Rafiqul Islam Apu, 35, organising secretary of the Barabari union unit of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal. Four others managed to flee.

Locals later called the national emergency helpline 999, prompting a team from Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station to reach the scene.