Two siblings have allegedly been beaten by students of Kushtia Medical College over Facebook posts protesting a patient’s death at hospital.
The incident took place at Kushtia Medical College Hospital on Saturday evening, when a mobile phone and a motorcycle were allegedly taken away from the victims.
The victims were identified as Sohag and Sohel, sons of Rahmat Ali of the Harishankarpur area of Kushtia town.
Family sources said Sohel’s son had been receiving treatment for about a week at the hospital for pneumonia.
They alleged that 25-30 medical college students beat Sohel, leaving him seriously injured. When his younger brother Sohag tried to intervene, they also assaulted him.
One of the injured was sent to Rajshahi for advanced treatment, while his family removed the baby receiving treatment at the hospital due to security concerns.
They also alleged that the students took Sohag’s mobile phone and motorcycle.
The phone was later recovered with police intervention, but the motorcycle remained missing, according to the family.
Family members said the incident was linked to Facebook posts made by the two brothers protesting a previous incident at the hospital on September 25.
They alleged that a patient who had suffered a heart attack died at the hospital around 11:00pm that day, triggering a scuffle and clash between doctors and the patient’s relatives.
According to the family, medical students detained three people, including the deceased’s son, and handed them over to police.
Police later sent the detainees to court. Sohag and Sohel subsequently posted on Facebook protesting the incident.
The family alleged that when the brothers entered the hospital on Saturday evening, a group of students shouted “brokers” at them and attacked them over the posts.
After the alleged assault, Sohag called the national emergency service at 999 seeking police assistance.
Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Model Police Station Zakir Hossain said police went to the scene and brought the situation under control around 10:30pm.