Local activists of the ruling Awami League forcefully freed a handcuffed Juba League member from police custody early Sunday after his arrest linked to a factional clash in Anwara upazila on Friday afternoon.

The confrontation left five police officers, including the Karnaphuli Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Md Zahir Hossain, injured and a police vehicle damaged.

The incident unfolded around midnight at a restaurant where the police officers were held hostage for an hour. This standoff followed a violent clash between two local AL factions earlier on Friday, sparked by a celebratory procession to welcome the proposed budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

Following the clash on Friday, police filed a case and conducted a joint operation involving Anwara and Karnaphuli police stations. During the raid on Saturday night, they arrested Jubo League activist Mozammel Haque, also known as ‘Gachh Mozammel,’ around 11 pm.

However, hundreds of AL activists intervened, overpowering the police and enabling Mozammel to escape with his handcuffs still on. The chaos escalated as the activists clashed with the police, who initially fired shots to disperse the crowd. The activists regrouped and retaliated, injuring five police personnel, including OC Md Zahir, and 12 activists.

Anwara Upazila Chairman Kazi Mozammel Haque criticized the police, alleging that their attempt to arrest ‘innocent’ activists provoked the violence. He accused the police of using ‘excessive force’ and causing serious injuries to over 12 activists. Haque also claimed that the officers were intimidating and harassing his supporters without proper charges.

Assistant Police Superintendent of Anwara Circle, Sohanur Rahman Sohag, said that when police arrested the accused, local activists intervened and snatched him away, leading to a violent clash that injured the OC of Karnaphuli police station and four other officers from Anwara.