Witnesses said women members of the land grabber families tried to resist the police when Magistrate Muzzammel Haque and Additional Police Super Khosrul Haque started the eviction at around 9:15am.

Police charged batons and dispersed them.

Hospital sources said the injured women, admitted to local hospital, were identified as Inuni Begum, 25, Rokeya, 42, Golcha Akter, 40, Rahima, 35, Hazera, 25, Zahura, 30, Saira, 25, Nurinahar, 26, and Moriom, 30.

"A young boy was released from the outdoor after giving him first aid at noon", said the sources.

Some 20 families, backed by influential leaders of the ruling BNP, had set up illegal establishments on 33-acre hatchery site in mid-January.

After constructing makeshift houses on the government land, the grabbers hung signboards there in the name of 'BNP Sporting Club' and Jubo Dal Sporting Club' that drew a widespread condemnation.

Deputy Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Moniswapon Dewan asked the district administration to act against the grabbers on immediate basis.

The magistrate said notice was served among the grabbers prior to eviction drive and police did not charge any batons during the drive.

"The women perhaps received injuries when police chased them," he claimed.