Staff Reporter: Miscreants attacked a shop in the Municipal Market opposite the post office next to the Bandar Bazar Hassan Market in Sylhet city. It has been initially confirmed that the attacker was a Chhatra League leader and activist.

It is alleged that 6/7 masked miscreants carried out the attack at around 2 pm on Monday (March 10). Earlier, during the July-August revolution of last year, Chhatra League district president Nazmul and his workers had demanded extortion. At that time, the banned Chhatra League leaders and activists attacked, robbed and vandalized the shop when the expatriate did not pay the extortion. That day too, they attacked Ismail`s shop and caused a lot of damage, including cash. Many newspapers published news about it at the time.

The victim Ismail`s mother Rahima Begum filed a general diary (GD) with the Sylhet Kotwali Police Station a day after the incident (Wednesday, March 12). Its number is 423. The GD states, "My son Ismail is currently an expatriate in the UK. He is the owner of Saima Carpet House opposite the post office near the city`s Bandar Bazar. A group of Chhatra League miscreants attacked his shop at around 2 pm on Monday (March 10). The attackers looted cash and other valuables in the shop. They snatched away 7/8 lakh taka and vandalized it. The shop manager Rashed was seriously injured in this. Finally, they vandalized the cash box and took the money. While leaving, they threatened that if I make a fuss about this matter, my son Ismail, who lives in the UK and is the owner of Saima Carpet House, will kill me when he comes to the country. They threatened that he will not be able to do business here anymore.
"They repeatedly show fear and leave. Now my entire family is suffering from insecurity. Since we currently do not have security and for your information, I came to your police station with all the documents and filed a general diary (GD)."

Investigations revealed that Ismail was associated with Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir since 2014 while in the country. He migrated to the UK in 2023. From 2022 until his departure from the UK, he served as the president of Shibir No. 8 of Jhingabari Union. Ismail was often under the watchful eye of Chhatra League leaders due to being the president of the Shibir. Before the elections on January 7, 2024, he was the victim of various attacks and lawsuits. It is learned that on December 31, miscreants set fire to a car near Sylhet Tilagarh Point MC College and the police filed a case with Shahparan Police Station in Sylhet. Ismail was completely wrongfully made the 7th accused in that case. Ismail`s mother cried and said that an arrest warrant has been issued against my son because of that case. Therefore, the law enforcement agencies have been harassing and intimidating us in various ways in the name of searching for him.

When contacted, Sylhet Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge OC Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan Shafiq said that the victim`s family has filed a GD. We will investigate the matter and take legal action.