Staff Reporter :
Farook Hawlader, the panel chairman of South Digholdi Union Council in Bhola Sadar, was assaulted by Awami League-affiliated activists on the streets of Bhola on Monday, September 9. The incident has sparked outrage among the local community, with residents staging a protest to demand justice.
On Tuesday, locals gathered at the Banglabazar area of the Bhola-Charfashan highway to form a human chain. The protest, attended by both men and women, young and old alike, was organized to call for action against the attackers and express solidarity with Farook Hawlader.
Several leaders from the Union BNP, including President Harun Dewan, Secretary Ismail Kazi, Joint General Secretaries Shah Newaz Monir and Abdul Mateen Dewan, addressed the crowd. They condemned the attack and called for immediate legal action against the perpetrators. The protest drew large crowds, including civil society members, demanding justice for Farook Master.
According to reports, Farook Hawlader, who also goes by Farook Master, was attacked by a group of seven to eight assailants, allegedly led by a man named Suman. The attack occurred while he was on his way to the Union Parishad office around 10 a.m. The attackers allegedly fled the scene after beating him severely. Local residents rescued Farook and admitted him to Bhola Sadar Hospital, where he is currently in critical condition.
Farook claimed that the attackers had been extorting him for money in recent days. “For the past few days, these terrorists have been demanding money from me. When I was heading to my routine duties at the Union Parishad, they attacked me without warning,” he said from his hospital bed.
Farook Hawlader has served as a member of the Union Parishad for three consecutive terms and was recently appointed as panel chairman following the resignation of the Awami League government chief, Sheikh Hasina, due to the student uprising on October 5. A case has been filed regarding the assault, and authorities are investigating the incident.