Bangladesh: Unknown assailants attack Ghoraghat UNO at home

Ghora Ghat upazila nirbahi officer Wahida Khanam.

 

Dinajpur Ghoraghat upazila nirbahi officer Wahida Khanam is in a critical condition after unidentified assailants broke into her official residence in the upazila town in Dinajpur and attacked her, leaving her with a serious head injury early  Thursday.

The attackers hit her in the head indiscriminately using heavy weapons after entering the house breaking a ventilator, said the police.

 

Wahida’s father Omar Ali, a freedom fighter who lives with her daughter and his three-year-old grand-daughter, was also severely injured in the attack but the police, the district administration and her family are yet to hint at any motives behind the attack.

Critically injured Wahida was flown to Dhaka by an air ambulance for better treatment on Thursday afternoon from Rangpur and was admitted to the National Institute of Neuroscience Hospital in the capital.

State minister for public administration Farhad Hossain said they took it seriously and added, ‘We would ensure that she receives the best possible care’.

‘I have already talked to the superintendent of the police. An investigation has already been initiated by the local police to find the attackers and SP is hopeful that the assailants would soon be arrested,’ the junior minister told New Age after visiting the critically injured UNO at the hospital in the evening.

The attackers were young and they might have used hammers to assault her, he said, adding that Wahida seemed clueless as to the motive behind the attack as she said that she did not have any enemies.

The attackers broke into the UNO’s official residence and started hitting her on the head with heavy weapons and when her father came to save her they also attacked him, leaving him injured, said Dinajpur police superintendent Anwar Hossain.

Investigators, however, brushed aside any suspicion of burglary, saying that nothing of value was missing from the house.

Wahida was initially admitted to Rangpur Community Hospital’s intensive care unit while her father was admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Head of neurosurgery department of RMCH Tofayel Ahamed Bhuiyan said that the injury sustained on the left side of the UNO’s head is severe. Her right hand and right leg are not functioning, he added.

The divisional commissioner of Rangpur, Abdul Wahab, said that the reason behind the attack could not be known yet.

No case was registered till filing of this report at 9:00pm.

Dinajpur additional deputy commissioner Mahfuzul Alam said that the attack might have taken place anytime between 2:00am and 4:00am.

He said that CCTV footage showed that two people entered their room after 1.30am, one of them was wearing personal protective equipment and another had a mask on his face.

The attackers entered the house after breaking open a ventilator and they came out of the house after 4.00am, Mahfuzul Alam added.

The police said that the miscreants entered the house after tying the guard down.

Dinajpur deputy commissioner Mahmudul Alam said that Wahida, who joined as UNO of Ghoraghat in November 2018, never showed any concern over receiving any threats against her life.

Wahida’s husband Mejbaul Hossain is posted as UNO of Pirgonj upazila in Rangpur.

Mejbaul told New Age that his wife was living in an official residence with her father and their three-year-old daughter and he too is clueless about the attackers’ motive and said that Wahida never gave any hint about any possible threat.

‘The night guard there called me at about 6.00am and informed me about the attack. I then informed the Dinajpur district administration officers,’ said Mejbaul.

National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital joint director Badrul Alam Mondal said that Wahida was in a critical condition.

She was taken to the operation theatre at about 9:00pm, he said.

Badrul said that Wahida’s scalp was severely damaged and she was suffered brain hemorrhage as she was attacked with something heavy.

Wahida’s blood pressure was unstable throughout the day and she was falling senseless again and again and she could not recall the incident, doctors there said.

Bangladesh Administrative Service Association condemned the attack in a press release and demanded immediate arrest of the assailants and justice for the attack.

The incident sparked outrage of the people on social media while by and large freedom fighters were posting condemning the incident.

 

New Age