A case has been filed against 107 people, including a BNP leader, over an attack on Forest Department officials and employees during an operation to remove illegal betel-leaf gardens from reserved forest land in Cox’s Bazar. Golam Mostafa, a beat officer of the Panerchhara Range under the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division, filed the case at Ramu police station on Tuesday. Local ward BNP president Jasim Uddin was named as the principal accused.

The attack occurred around 10am on Monday in the Panerchhara Range area. The Forest Department alleged that a group of local encroachers launched a coordinated surprise attack as personnel attempted to evict the illegal gardens. It also alleged that local BNP leaders and activists carried out the assault. The complaint named 17 people and included another 80 to 90 unidentified accused.

Range officer Shariful Alam, forest guard Humayun Kabir, gardeners Saidul Islam and Md Sajid, and Emergency Response Team member Mizanur Rahman were seriously injured. Government equipment used in the operation was also damaged. The injured were admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, while the department said preparations were underway to take Shariful Alam to Chattogram for advanced treatment.