Man attacks own lawyer after arrest warrant issued in drug case

A man in Patuakhali’s Mirzaganj allegedly attacked and seriously injured his own lawyer with a machete after becoming angry over an arrest warrant issued against him in a drug case.

The incident took place in front of the lawyer's house near the sluice gate area of Chhalabunia village in Mirzaganj on Sunday night (August 9).

The victim, Samiul, 44, is president of the Kakrabunia union unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The accused, Zakir Farazi, is a former general secretary of the Mirzaganj unit of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal and a former joint convener of the Jubo Dal.

Farazi is facing a drug case before the Mirzaganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Court, with Samiul representing him. An arrest warrant was issued against Farazi on Sunday after he failed to appear before the court on the scheduled hearing date.

According to Samiul, he had called Farazi before the hearing and urged him to attend court. Farazi reportedly declined, citing other commitments, prompting the lawyer to seek an adjournment on his behalf. The court rejected the request and issued the arrest warrant.

Samiul said he later informed Farazi of the court’s order by phone. Around 8pm, while he was sitting at a tea stall in front of his home, Farazi allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and attacked him repeatedly with a sharp machete.

The lawyer suffered a serious injury above his right knee and injuries to several other parts of his body. Locals took him to Mirzaganj Upazila Health Complex before doctors referred him to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for further treatment.

Farazi could not be reached despite several phone calls seeking his comment on the allegation.

Touhiduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mirzaganj Police Station, said, "Police had learned through sources that a lawyer had been attacked but had yet to receive any verbal or written complaint from the victim."