At least five people were killed and over 100 injured in Companiganj in Noakhali Thursday morning when police opened fire on demonstrators on the thana premises in protest against a dacoity at Basurhat Bazar, reports BDNEWS. Upazila Nirbahai Officer Md Zafar Alam, however, confirmed three deaths while police declined to make any comment. Local people alleged that police concealed the number of bodies. Officer-in-charge (OC) Ayub Hossain and Sub-inspector (SI) Sudhangshu Chakrabarti of the Companiganj thana were closed following the incident. Police and locals said that a group of 50-60 armed dacoits boarding on truck and microbus raided a jewellery shop - Haji & Sons - at Basurhat in Companiganj upazila at around 3 am and looted cash money and jewellery worth about Tk 50 lakh. Locals alleged that police, despite being informed, dilly-dallied in reaching the spot, a few yards away from the police station, allowing time for the dacoits to flee the scene. The role of police generated anger among the local people. Later, the agitated traders of Bashurhat enforced a half-day hartal to protest the negligence of duties of the police.
Later, they along with local people gheraoed the Companiganj police station at about 9am and allegedly assaulted the OC by throwing shoe at him that prompted a clash between police and locals. Locals said that police suddenly went wild and fired nearly 200 rounds of bullet to disperse the furious people who pelted brickbats on them and ransacked the police station. At least 100 people, including 30 policemen, were injured during the clash.