Tangail firing: Ghatail, Kalihati OCs closed

-- OCs of Ghatail, Kalihati closed

-- Committee starts investigation

-- Fourth victim died yesterday

-- 7 cops already closed

The officers-in-charge of Ghatail and Kalihati police stations have been closed to Tangail police lines for “fair investigation” of Friday’s firing incident that left four people dead.

Mukhlesur Rahman and Shahidul Islam, OCs of Ghatail and Kalihati police stations, were closed last night for fair investigation of the incident, acting superintendent of Tangail police Sanjay Sarkar told The Daily Star.

Earlier, seven policemen involved in opening the fire on locals during their protest against assault of a woman and her son Friday, were closed to Dhaka Range.

Meanwhile, a three-member committee formed under the district administration as its head has started its work and visited the spot this morning. Additional District Magistrate Sarwar Hosain is leading the body.

Three people were shot dead and 32 injured in Kalihati as police opened fire during a clash with locals. The fourth victim died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.

Police initially dismissed that the villagers died in their shooting but autopsy reports confirmed they all succumbed to bullet injuries.

Meanwhile, most men of at least 14 villages under Kalihati and Ghatail upazilas went into hiding to avoid arrest after police filed two cases against 900 unidentified villagers over the incident.

Hundreds of locals took to the streets on Friday afternoon protesting September 15's brutal assault of a mother and her son. A clash erupted when police intercepted the demonstration.

The protest came following Rafiqul Islam Roma of Satutia village in Kalihati with the help of his cohorts abused and beat the woman and her son, as the boy allegedly developed an affair with Roma's wife.

Faruk Hossain, father of victim Rubel, told reporters that his son was a small trader. He was hit in the head during the protest.

On Saturday, police filed two cases against 900 unnamed villagers on charges of assaulting cops and obstructing them from doing their duties.

Police also brought murder charges against the villagers, saying that the deceased were injured in firing during chase and counter chase between villagers.