Police on Tuesday night arrested 12 businessmen, eight of them leaders of local business association, of Trimohini Bazar in Puthia upazila.

The arrests followed a clash between police and traders that left 10 including five policemen injured.

The arrested businessmen include Puthia Bazar Banik Samity president Hasibur Rahman, general secretary Abul Hossain, vice presidents Afzal Hossain and Mamunur Rashid, organising secretary Shah Alam, office secretary Sujit Kumar, joint secretary Joynal Abedin and executive member Nawshad Ali.

Other arrestees are Joynal's brothers Asadul Haq and Aynal, businessmen Bazlur Rashid and San jay Kumar.

Sub inspector GM Mahbub

Alam Chowdhury of Puthia police station lodged a case against 50 people under the Speedy Trial Act on charges of barring police from performing duty, launching attacks on police and threateningpublicsecurity.

The clash erupted on Tuesday noon after police went to inspect meat shops at Trimohini Bazar following allegations of slaughtering sick animals by a section of butchers.

M Ziaul Alam, officer-in-charge of Puthia PS told this correspondent that police, acting on a local newspaper report that meat traders are slaughtering sick animals, went to the Bazar and challenged some meat sellers.

Led by sub-inspector GM Mahbub Alam Chowdhury, the squad found four dead calves at the makeshift shops of meat sellers Mortuza, Korban, Kalachand and Laichand. During the raid,

locals told police that the same shops slaughtered pregnant cows on the previous day.

Witnesses and police said, the meat sellers, being challenged, hurled abuses at policemen and assaulted SI Mahbub triggering a clash at around 3pm.

Following chase and counter chase at the market the traders barricaded the Rajshahi-Dhaka highway for one hour until 4pm while police beat up two businessmen — Sujon and Aynal.

After putting up barricade, the businessmen also beat up traffic constable Selim Reza, SI Abdus Sattar Pramanik, SI Abdur Rashid and constable Golam Mostafa on the road.

They then damaged three vehicles including a police truck.

Later at night, the businessmen laid a siege to the police station.

Policeafterawhile called 12

of them to the police station for talks and at a stage arrest all at around 10pm.

After the arrests, no businessman was available at Puthia for comments.Their mobiles were also switched off.

Relatives of some businessmen told this correspondent that the clash erupted as police demanded bribe and beat up some businessmen including Sujon and Aynal.

They alleged that police also beat up the arrestees mercilessly inside the police station.

OC Ziaul refuted the allegations.

"Those businessmen are ruthless. They barricaded roads five times in the last three months over trivial issues. If any of my officers commits offence, they should come to me and lodge a complaint. They don't need to block roads for that", said the OC.