Police, Fisheries Dept at odds in Hizla

Barishal Correspondent :

The members of a team led by the Department of Fisheries became ‘victims of police attack’ while going on an expedition in Hijla upazila under Barishal district. It has been alleged that members of the Harinathpur police outpost under Hijla police station carried out the attack on Thursday (April 4) evening. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. However, Jubair Ahmed, officer in charge of Hijla police station on Friday afternoon said the incident happened over misunderstanding between both sides.
On Thursday night the matter was minimized in meeting attended by Bayejid Ahmed, circle inspector of Hijla police after negotiated between fisheries and police officials, the OC added. Senior Fisheries Officer of Hijla Upazila Mohammad Alam said, based on the news that there is a large amount of illegal nets, members of directorate of fisheries went to a house in the area adjacent to the Harinathpur police outpost with the help of members of the naval police.
No male person was found there. The women of that house said that about a week ago, the members including the in-charge of the Hijla outpost police seized the illegal nets and collected money.
Mohammad Alam said, after knowing the matter, called the in-charge of Harinathpur police outpost Abdur Rahim to come to the spot.
Being near, he came there within a short time and the locals again presented the matter of taking their net in front of him.
After that Abdur Rahim, the in-charge of the outpost, got angry and started abusing the boatmen who were with our expedition team and misbehaved with everyone.
The fisheries officer further said that on the way from the incident site to Hijla Sadar, Harinathpur police outpost in-charge Abdur Rahim and accompanied policemen in civil dress stopped our vehicle.