Injured Akash stated that they were sitting and drinking tea at a coffee shop in the riverbank area when 13 to 14 armed terrorists arrived on two speedboats from the river route and abruptly began firing indiscriminately. They were joined by several individuals wearing caps, jubbas, and panjabis. During the incident, terrorists fired over a hundred rounds of bullets spanning a half-kilometer stretch from the riverbank coffee shop to Nur Thakur's More. They also unleashed a reign of terror using domestic weapons, resulting in injuries to the three mentioned individuals.

The victims further claimed that for a long time, members of the Kakon gang have been illegally extracting sand from the Padma River, placing riverside settlements, educational institutions, the atomic project, and the Lalon Shah and Hardinge Bridges at grave risk. They asserted that this attack was launched in retaliation against protests, human chains, and memorandums submitted demanding a halt and remedy to this illegal sand extraction. Immediately following the incident, relatives of the injured and agitated locals brought out a protest procession toward the police station and blockaded the station gate, demanding the immediate arrest and legal action against the attackers.

Regarding the matter, Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ashadur Rahman stated that they heard about a gunfight between two factions. Police have been dispatched to the scene, and the situation is currently under control. A complaint has been received, and those involved in the incident will be brought to justice and dealt with through necessary legal actions upon investigation.

Agitated locals and relatives demonstrating in front of Ishwardi Police Station following the armed attack on the Padma riverbank. Photo: Daily Best News