Several local leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami have stormed a private clinic in Kaliganj upazila in Jhenaidah and severely assaulted the owner and two others on Wednesday night.
The attackers also vandalised the clinic, looted cash and a gold chain, and harassed patients and staff.
The incident took place around 8 pm on Wednesday (11 November) at Ansar Ali Private Hospital and Clinic near Murgihata Mor in the town.
The injured are clinic owner Alamgir Hossain (40), Taufik (22), joint general secretary of Chhatra Dal for Ward 2 of the municipality, and clinic manager Mahabur Rahman (33). All three sustained serious head injuries requiring multiple stitches — two for Alamgir, four for Taufik, and three for Mahabur. They received treatment at the Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.
According to the complaint filed by Alamgir Hossain at the police station, an argument broke out between two youths at Murgihata Mor around 8 pm on Wednesday. The matter was later settled locally, and the clinic owner was present at the scene. Shortly afterward, a group including Nazim Uddin arrived with local weapons and launched the attack.
The complaint names Nazim Uddin, Hussain, Billal, and three others, along with 15–20 unidentified assailants. The accused are said to be involved with local Jamaat-e-Islami politics.
Alamgir alleged that the attackers first struck him on the head with an iron rod. When Taufik tried to intervene, he was hit on the head with a sharp Chinese axe, while manager Mahabur was struck with a ramda (machete). Others continued the assault with iron rods. When nurses, ayahs, and other staff rushed to help, they were also beaten and allegedly sexually harassed.
The attackers then entered various wards, creating panic among women, children, the elderly, and patients under treatment. They allegedly misbehaved with and assaulted patients and their relatives. During the attack, the clinic was vandalized. Approximately Tk 175,000 was looted from the cash counter, and a gold chain weighing about one bhori (estimated value Tk 250,000) was snatched from a nurse’s neck.
One of the accused named in the complaint, Billal Hossain, denied using weapons. He claimed he arrived at the scene sometime after the incident and had heard that the victims were first hit with bricks. He said any injuries sustained by the other side might have occurred in self-defence, adding that several people from their group were also injured.
Officer-in-Charge of Kaliganj Police Station, Zulfikar Ali, confirmed that the three injured men visited the station and filed a first information report (FIR). He said the matter is under investigation and legal action will be taken accordingly.