1 jumps into pond and dies to escape police raid

A man drowned while jumping into a pond to escape from police during a drive at a slum at Mirpur in the city. The officials of Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO), with the help of the police, conducted a drive against power theft at Chalantika slum at Mirpur on Saturday. Local people claimed that Abdul Khalek, 40, drowned falling into the pond after being chased by the police. However, the police said the man drowned while escaping the police raid. The slum dwellers attacked the police and DESCO officials when they went to Chalantika intersection – adjacent to ‘Ta’ block of Mirpur Section 6 – at around 10:30am on Saturday to cut off the slum’s unauthorised power connections. Following the incident, police detained several slum dwellers from the spot. Khalek, who fell into the pond was rescued and rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where duty doctors declared him brought dead. Sub-Inspector of the Rupnagar Police Station Azizul Haque said police constable Abdul Latif was injured in the attack by the slum dwellers and was admitted to Dr Ajmal Hospital at Mirpur. He needed four stitches on the back of his head. Inspector of the DMCH Police Outpost Mozammel Haque said “Khalek drowned after he jumped into a pond getting information of a possible police raid against power theft at the slum,” according to bdnews24.com.