10 injured in clash between police, SAD activists in Ctg Patiya

At least 10 people, including four police personnel, were injured after a clash broke out between police and activists of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) outside Patiya Police Station in Chattogram's Patiya upazila last night.

Police claimed the SAD leaders and activists attempted to create a mob inside the police station, prompting police to intervene to bring the situation under control.

Protesting the police action, the student leaders announced a blockade titled "Patiya Blockade" in front of the police station this morning.

According to local sources, police officials, and members of the student movement, the clash followed an incident around 9:00pm when activists of SAD detained a leader of the banned Chhatra League in front of the central Shaheed Minar in the upazila.

They later took him to Patiya Police Station.

However, as there were no charges filed against the BCL leader, police were unwilling to detain him.

During the argument, a group of youths reportedly tried to assault the BCL member inside the police station.

This led to a heated exchange between police and student activists, which eventually escalated into a clash.

As the situation worsened, police reportedly took the BCL leader into custody and placed him in the lock-up.

When contacted, Officer-in-Charge Zayed Nur of the police station told The Daily Star, "They came to the police station with a procession and beat the BCL member inside the police station. Later, police took him into custody. At one point during the argument, with instigating slogans against the police, they locked into scuffles with cops, and police later drove them out of the police station."

"Police have filed a general diary (GD) in this connection," he said, adding that four policemen were injured in the clash.

Ridwan Siddiqqui, joint convener of the Chattogram metropolitan unit of SAD, told reporters, "Upon hearing the news, I went to the scene in Patiya. Our activists were beaten with batons by the police. Several of my brothers had to be taken to the hospital for primary treatment."