SHILLONG: One person was killed and nine were injured as a result of police firing in Sylhet at Muslim processionists yesterday [April 25]. It is reported that the processionists were returning from the local police station after hoisting the League flag on its premises when they were fired upon. The news of the police attack spread like wildfire in the town. Shops of both communities closed down instantly and a huge crowd gathered at the place of incident. They took the wounded to hospital where unfortunately one of the victims Mr. Aqdas Ali expired.

In the afternoon, his funeral rites were performed at the Govinda Park and the dead body was taken to the burial ground in a procession of about 15,000 people. At time of writing news has come that four people were killed at Mankachar on April 22 by police firing. Half-a-dozen persons were injured and one of them subsequently died when police opened fire to disperse a crowd that raided the Sylhet Sadar Thana. Shouting the slogan “Down with the Congress government”, the crowd hoisted the flag on the Thana building. It later threw bricks and stones at the building.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2022