A local leader of the Awami League has sustained severe injuries after being brutally beaten in the Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district. The incident took place around 6:30 PM on Saturday at the Chourasta intersection within the Baliyatali union, triggering tension in the local community.
The victim has been identified as sixty-seven-year-old Shah Alam Mollah, who serves as the president of the Awami League’s Ward 3 committee in Baliyatali union. According to his account, the attackers used a heavy wooden log to bludgeon him, fracturing his right ankle. He also sustained multiple injuries to his head and various parts of his body during the assault.
Detailing the sequence of events, the victim’s daughter-in-law, Runa Begum, explained that Sunday marked the death anniversary of her son. The family had organised a religious prayer and milad gathering at their home to mark the occasion. In preparation for the event, Shah Alam Mollah went to the Baliyatali Chourasta market to purchase necessary supplies. Upon learning of his whereabouts, a group of seven to eight individuals—whom she identified as local BNP activists Rumman, Tauhid, and Din Islam—intercepted him at the market square.
Runa Begum further alleged that the assailants launched a sudden physical assault before using a log to shatter her father-in-law’s right ankle. She explicitly claimed that the perpetrators act under the direction of Mujibur Rahman, the president of the union BNP committee.
However, Mujibur Rahman has strongly refuted these allegations, distancing himself and his supporters from the violence. Asserting that none of his associates were involved, he claimed that he had no knowledge of who carried out the attack and suggested that Shah Alam Mollah was fabricating the accusations for political leverage.
Medical personnel at the Kalapara Upazila Health Complex provided immediate care following the assault. Dr Poli Saha, a medical officer at the facility, noted that the patient presented with multiple injuries across his body and head, alongside a severe fracture to his right leg. Given the gravity of the trauma to his ankle, medical staff referred him onward to the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for advanced treatment.
Law enforcement authorities have acknowledged the incident. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nazrul Islam of Kalapara Police Station stated that police personnel were dispatched to check on the injured leader upon receiving news of the attack. Police have confirmed that formal legal action will be initiated once the victim’s family submits a written complaint.
