A Jubo League leader and his assistant were arrested on Saturday on charges of assaulting Amtali Upazila Nirbahi Officer and obstructing the officer from discharging government duties.

The arrestees are -- Advocate Ariful Hasan (33), president of Amtali Municipality unit of Jubo League, and Raihan (22).

UNO Monira Parveen filed a case against 15 persons, including the duo, with Amtali Police Station yesterday on charges of obstructing her from discharging duties and attempted murder.

Talking to our local correspondent, the UNO said she went to Amtali launch ghat around 1:30pm on Saturday to distribute masks among passengers and check overloading of the vessels.

Noticing that a Dhaka-bound Sundarbans-07 launch was overloaded with passengers, the UNO said she asked its supervisor Moinul to leave the terminal immediately but he disobeyed the instruction and started taking in more passengers.

The supervisor misbehaved with the UNO and Ariful and Raihan joined him and smashed a table next to her and pushed her away, the UNO alleged, adding that she got hurt physically.

The UNO then called the police who detained the duo.

Ariful's father MA Quader Mia, acting president of Amtali unit Awami League, said his son is innocent and was falsely implicated in the case.

He said his son met the UNO when he went there to see off one of his friends. Seeing the UNO, Ariful greeted her with salam. But the UNO asked him, "Have you formed a human chain against me?"

An argument ensued between them and the UNO handed him to police.

Mahbubul Bari Aslam, general secretary of Barguna District Bar Association, said Ariful was not at fault and the UNO misused her power.

Barguna Deputy Commissioner Mostain Billah said the UNO was obstructed from discharging government duties, treated disrespectfully and hurt. It is a crime and the UNO filed the case, he said. "We are also looking into the matter," he added.