Madrasa boys not involved

The authorities of Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa yesterday claimed their students were not involved in incidents of vandalism in Brahmanbaria town on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference at the madrasa, its Principal Mufti Mubarak Ullah demanded the government order a judicial probe into the incidents. He read out a written statement at the press conference.

He said some criminals carried out the attacks on Tuesday. If the probe finds the involvement of madrasa students in the attacks, legal action should be taken against them, he added.

The principal expressed sorrow over the attacks on some cultural organisations in the town.

Meanwhile, police on Thursday filed another case with Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, accusing over 5,000 unnamed people of violence, said Inspector Md Mafizul Islam Bhuyian of the police station.

Earlier, six more cases were filed with the police station in connection with Tuesday's violence. The railway authorities on Wednesday lodged a case against 1,200 unnamed people for vandalising Brahmanbaria Railway Station and removing fishplates from rail tracks.

No case was filed yet over the death of madrasa student Masudur Rahman, said Mafizul.

Madrasa students went on a rampage in the district town on Tuesday morning, hours after the death of Masudur who was critically injured allegedly in a clash with the police the previous day.

Armed with bamboo sticks and iron rods, students attacked the railway station, removed fishplates from rail tracks near the station and set fire to a police van, said witnesses.

Police said the trouble started on Monday evening when an employee of a mobile phone shop allegedly assaulted a student of Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa.

The violence led to suspension of train services between the capital and Chittagong and Sylhet for around seven hours on Tuesday.