A school headmaster, UNO and local journalist were among a group of villagers allegedly beaten up by local Awami League and Jubo League leaders as he protested their illegally occupying a fish enclosure in Wazirpur upazila of Barishal on Friday, said police. According to the locals, Wazirpur upazila Awami League Organising Secretary Mashiur Mia and his younger brother Jubo League leader Monir Mia have been cultivating fish occupying fish enclosures belonging to others, including the school teacher, in Patibari village of the upazila. The victim, Ujjwal Kumar Mandal, headmaster of Rajihar Secondary School in Agailjhara upazila, said the local owners, including him, were protesting the illegal grabbing of the enclosure on Friday afternoon. Read: 7 injured in clash between rival BCL factions at Barishal University “Enraged by this, Monir and Mashiur beat me and UP member Amal Mandal,” he said, adding that they also vandalised Ujjwal’s shop and looted Tk 5 lakh. They also assaulted a local journalist, he said. In this regard, Mohammad Momen, inspector of Wazirpur police station, said legal action will be taken after investigating the matter.

A Barishal court on Thursday granted bail to 12 Awami League leaders and activists in two cases filed over the attack on the residence of Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munibur Rahman on August 18. Barishal Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Masum Billah passed the order, said General Register Officer Khokon Chandra Das. He said a petition was filed on August 29 seeking bail for the 12 accused. City Awami League joint general secretary Hasan Mahmud,its organizing secretary and BCC Ward No 21 councillor Sayeed Ahmed, relief secretary Moazzem Hossain Firoj were among those secured bail today. Read:Barishal Clash: Hearing on bail plea of 12 accused on Sept 2 On August 15, the court granted bail to nine other accused in the cases. With these, all the 21 accused except two got bail. Two other accused did not get bail as they are undergoing treatment in Dhaka. On August 22, a court rejected bail plea of 21 Awami League men arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack . A clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members and Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal on August 18. Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. Of them two AL men lost their eyesights later. Earlier two separate cases were filed in this connection. Read: Attack on UNO’s house: Nine people get bail in Barishal Upazila Nirbahi officer Munibur Rahman of Barisal Sadar Upazila and Assistant sub-inspector of police Shahjalal Mallick were the plaintiffs in these cases accusing the mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and his men of obstruction of government work and attempt to murder.