Activists snatch AL leader from police in Pabna

Pabna map - Locan Government Engineering Department

Pabna, February 1 – Activists chanting the "Joy Bangla" slogan snatched Abdul Wahab, president of the Awami League's Sujanagar Upazila branch, former mayor of the municipality, and former chairman of the Upazila Parishad, from the police on Sunday. He is a defendant in two cases related to an attack on a discrimination protest movement. Eight police officers were injured in the incident.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Sunday (February 2) in the Mathurapur area of the Vaina Union in Sujanagar Upazila.

Abdul Wahab is the son of the late Jahid Ali Sekh from the Mathurapur area. He was the president of the Sujanagar Upazila Awami League, the former mayor of the municipality, and the recently dissolved chairman of the Upazila Parishad. He is a defendant in a discrimination-related murder case filed at Pabna Sadar Police Station and Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Police Station.

Locals and police reported that in the afternoon, a team from Sujanagar Police Station arrested Abdul Wahab. However, a group of people surrounded the police, demanding that they release him. When the police refused, several hundred people gathered, chanting "Joy Bangla," forcefully removed him from the vehicle, and attacked and vandalized it. During the scuffle, eight police officers were injured.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdur Rauf, former general secretary of the Sujanagar Upazila BNP, said, "This shows the weakness of the police. It wasn’t right for such a small number of officers to go there. They should have gone with more strength. We strongly condemn and protest this incident."

Professor Hesab Uddin, Amir of Sujanagar Upazila Jamaat-e-Islami, said, "The Awami League’s fascist leaders and activists, chanting 'Joy Bangla,' took him away due to police negligence. The police made no effort to resist. Yet, in the past, they used to beat and shoot people from Jamaat and BNP without reason. We are shocked. A person who was the president of the Upazila Awami League is still living comfortably at home."

Golam Mustafa, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sujanagar Police Station, confirmed the incident, stating that eight police officers were injured.

Mortoza Ali Khan, Pabna’s Superintendent of Police, said, "Abdul Wahab is a defendant in a case related to the attack on a discrimination protest movement. He was arrested based on confidential information. However, several hundred people snatched him from the police vehicle. We are continuing our efforts to arrest him again. He will be arrested soon." - UNB