Section 144 in Khagrachhari after rape-accused teacher lynched

A college teacher was lynched by a mob accusing him of attempting to rape a student in Khagrachhari on Tuesday.

The local administration imposed Section 144 indefinitely due to prevailing tensions in the area over the incident. 

The deceased was identified as Abul Hasnat Muhammad Sohel Rana, Chief Instructor of the Department of Building Construction and Safety at the Technical School and College in the district.

Md Sahiduzzaman, Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachhari, confirmed the imposition of Section 144.

It has been learned that a case was filed against teacher Sohel Rana for sexually harassing a student. After being acquitted from the case, he returned to work, but the hill students had been demanding his removal. On Tuesday at 11:00 am, the hill students confined him in the principal's room over allegations of attempting to rape a female student from the same institution. At one point, he was beaten, resulting in his death.

A video that spread on social media shows 15-20 hill youths beating the teacher indiscriminately. Later, when the police rescued him and took him to Khagrachhari Modern District Hospital, the attending physician declared him dead.

Meanwhile, after the news of the teacher being beaten to death spread, there were clashes between hill people and Bengali people in Khagrachhari Sadar. During this time, miscreants set fire to motorcycles and vandalized property. Various rooms and furniture of the college were also vandalized.

Ripol Bappi Chakma, the Resident Medical Officer of the hospital, stated that the teacher had died before being brought to the hospital.

Abdul Baten Mirdha, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station, said that additional police had been deployed in the city to control the situation.

Earlier, on the morning of September 18, a youth named Md Mamun (30) was beaten to death in Khagrachhari. This incident sparked protests, leading to violence spreading to Khagrachhari and Rangamati. In this incident, three people were killed in Khagrachhari.