Eight officials and employees of the Forest Department were seriously hurt in an attack by a group of people while conducting a drive against illegal encroachment of forest land in Tangail's Ghatail upazila on Thursday afternoon.

The injured foresters are currently undergoing treatment at Tangail General Hospital and Ghatail Upazila Health Complex.

Among them, Dhalapara Sadar Beat Officer Abdul Quddus, Forest Guards Ashraful Islam, Masud and Sharif Miah are admitted in Tangail General Hospital. Meanwhile, Forest Guards Jahangir Hossain, Mohammad Galib and Abu Bakar, and Gardener Hannan are receiving treatment at Ghatail Upazila Health Complex.

Police and locals said a team from the forest department led by Dhalapara Sadar Forest Beat Officer Abdul Quddus went to the area to clear an illegal under-construction structure on the forest land in Ashariya Chala area.

Allegedly, a madrasa named "Madinatul Uloom Rahmaniya" was being built there. When the foresters went to stop the construction work, the villagers attacked them.

Upon information, Ghatail Police Station OC Rakibul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Lands) Sabrin Akter went to the spot and rescued the foresters from the confinement of the attackers.

Ruhul Amin, a local, claimed that the madrasa authority started construction with the verbal permission of the forest department. However, during the eviction drive, foresters beat up some madrasa students, leading to the attacks.

Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) in Tangail, said the locals attacked them by creating religious frenzy.

He added that a section of politicians are inciting violence among locals for the sake of votes.

OC Rakibul Islam said, "The forest department officials faced public anger while recovering the forest land. We rescued them after getting information. Currently, the situation is calm."

Dhalapara Sadar Beat Officer Abdul Quddus filed a case against the attackers, including Ruhul Amin in this regard, the OC added.