Man stabs cops, ‘drowns while fleeing’

A man's body has been found in a pond after he allegedly stabbed police officers at Saghata Police Station in Gaibandha.

Police said the man, Md Siju Mia, 21, from Baguria village of Gaibandha Sadar, died "after jumping into the pond" while trying to escape after attacking police.

Siju, a student of a local college, launched the attack on Thursday night reportedly after police refused to file a general diary over his lost mobile phone.

His body was recovered from the pond by Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel yesterday morning, said Mashiur Rahman, sub-inspector of Saghata Police Station.

Bidroho Kumar Kundu, additional superintendent of police of Gaibandha's A-Circle, said Siju first came to Saghata Police Station at 8:40pm on Thursday to file a GD for a lost mobile phone.

The duty officer asked him for some information, including the phone's IMEI number. He couldn't provide the information even after 20 minutes, Bidroho said. 

Police also questioned why he came to the Saghata Police Station to file a GD when his phone was lost in Gaibandha Sadar upazila.

"He was later given auto-rickshaw fare and sent back home," the police officer said.

CCTV footage provided by police showed a man, purportedly Siju, entering the station at 9:50pm, armed with a knife.

When a constable tried to stop him at the entrance, he snatched a rifle from the policeman and entered the duty officer's room.

As multiple police personnel tried to stop him, the man swung the knife in an attempt to stab everyone.

He then fled the police station, according to Additional SP Bidroho.

Constable Sirajul Islam and Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohsin Ali suffered stab wounds during the incident, the police officer said.

While fleeing the police station, Siju jumped into a nearby pond at Saghata High School, he said.

Siju did not respond when police and locals repeatedly asked him to come ashore, Bidroho said. 

Saghata Fire Station Officer Ratan Chandra Sharma said they were called on Thursday night but could not conduct a rescue operation immediately because the pond was extremely deep and there was a lack of light.

Fire service divers recovered Siju's body and handed it over to the police at 9:30am yesterday, Ratan said, adding that "there were no visible signs of injury on Siju's body".

According to Siju's family, he had an argument with the police station's duty officer over the refusal to register the GD.

Additional SP Bidroho said a post-mortem examination of the body was being conducted in the afternoon.