The father of a four-year-old girl filed a rape case this morning, accusing a man of attempting to rape his daughter in Chattogram’s Bakalia area yesterday.

“The child’s father filed the case as the complainant. The accused, Monir, will be produced before court today,” Bakalia Police Station OC Mohammad Solaiman told The Daily Star.

“Police are also filing a separate case over the attack on law enforcers, obstruction of duty, vandalism and arson. So far, we have detained four people,” he added.

Local residents besieged police yesterday afternoon, demanding that the suspect be handed over to them for “instant justice” after news of the attempted rape spread.

The mob asked police to leave the area, saying they would carry out the punishment themselves. At one stage, clashes broke out in phases as locals attempted to snatch the accused while police tried to prevent them.

At least 30 people, including two journalists and 15 police personnel, were injured in the repeated clashes. The injured were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and the police lines hospital for treatment.

Around 10pm, tension escalated after police strategically moved the accused out of the area, triggering fresh clashes between locals and law enforcers. During the violence, police came under attack and a police vehicle was set on fire.