Earth filling work for the Sylhet Central Jail came to a halt following an attack by the ‘ruling party’ activists, leaving two people injured at Badaghat in sadar upazila of Sylhet on Friday night.
The injured were Nazrul Islam, 30, and Hamju Mia, 35, dredging machine operators of Mohammad Yunus & Brothers Private Limited, a construction firm.
The work aimed at shifting the jail premises began on Friday.
As a team of engineers of Public Works Department returned after visiting the site, a group of people, led by Awami League
leader Sujat Ali Rafiq, appeared on the scene and asked the workers to stop dredger engaged in earth cutting.
As their order went unheeded, they attacked two employees, leaving them injured.
The attackers also damaged the dredger and left the spot when locals went to the spot.
Mohammad Shamsur Rahman Chowdhury, managing director of Mohammad Yunus and Brothers Limited, a contract firm, said that they earlier demanded Tk 25 lakh as toll from him for the work and the attack was carried out as their demand was ignored.
Jalalabad thana officer-in-charge Gousul Hossain said the police were trying to identify the attackers.
Local Public Works Department sources said Mohammad Yunus and Brothers Limited was appointed as the firm for implementation of the first phase of the project for the central jail at a cost of about Tk 8 crore.