Gonoshasthaya Kendra attacked

Vandals broke the windows, doors and looted office equipment of a building of Gonoshasthaya Kendra in Savar yesterday, amid cases being filed against its founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

They also beat up students and broke the right arm of Limon Hossain, a law student of Gono University, who has physical disabilities.

Since October 15, five cases have been lodged against Zafrullah, accusing him of land grabbing, extortion and stealing fish and fruits of locals.

Gonoshasthaya employees yesterday said the vandals started attacking in the morning and continued throughout the day.

“About 100 people, led by those who recently filed the cases against Zafrullah Chowdhury, entered our PHA Bhaban and started breaking the windows, and taking away the computers, TVs, and CCTV cameras. They hurled abuse at our women colleagues and tried to break into a female students' dormitory,” Sheikh Alamgir, administration officer of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, told The Daily Star in the evening.

The attackers also hung a banner reading, “Cotton Textile Crafts Ltd” in front of the PHA Bhaban, Alamgir said.

LLM student Limon told The Daily Star that he was attacked when he tried to save female students from being harassed.

He is undergoing treatment at the surgery ward of Gonoshasthya Hospital, which is on the premises of Gonoshasthaya Kendra. Doctors said his right arm was fractured.

Limon came under the national spotlight in 2011, after a Rab team shot him, “having mistaken” him for a criminal. His injured leg had to be amputated.

Criminals have put up a banner of Cotton Textile Crafts Ltd at the entrance to “PHA Bhaban” of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, founded by Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, in Savar yesterday after vandalising the building. Photo: Collected

Alamgir alleged that police did not take any action despite being informed. “We filed a written complaint but police did not record it as a GD.”

Javed Masud, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Ashulia Police Station, said a police team visited the scene and denied receiving any written complaint.

According to Gonoshasthaya officials, the building attacked yesterday was built in 2000.

Visiting the site yesterday, this correspondent saw that the main entrance, glass fittings, and part of the boundary walls were broken.