C T Online Desk: Tension is escalating in the New Market area after violent clashes between store keepers and Dhaka College students throughout the day left one person dead and at least 50 others injured.
The victim, 23-year old Nahid Hasan, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Tuesday night. Relatives said he worked as a deliveryman of a courier service called D-Link.
His wife Dalia Sultana burst into tears as Resident Physician Md Alauddin announced the news of Nahid’s death. The couple started living in Kamrangirchar after their marriage six months ago.
The two camps clashed for nearly two and a half hours in the small hours of Tuesday before police dispersed them using tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes resumed in the morning, further crippling Dhaka’s slow Ramadan traffic.
The intensity of the violence eased in the afternoon and stopped for some time during Iftar, said Sharif Mohammad Faruquzzaman, an assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The traders started demonstrating again around 7:45pm while the students gathered outside the campus. Police charged baton to disperse the store workers.
Another group of students were demonstrating on the campus, confining Acting Principal ATM Moinul Hossain to his office after the authorities closed the institution until May 5 and instructed the students to vacate the residential halls. He later left the college, saying students will be allowed to live in the halls.
The street from Dhaka College to Chandrima Super Market was covered with brickbats as a huge number of policemen stood guard.
“Clashes have stopped for now, but we are still on alert. Let’s see how the situation turns,” said Shahen Shah, a deputy commissioner of DMP.
One shop of Noorjahan Supermarket was gutted after an arson attack.
It was unclear what led to the clashes but some students said an argument between storekeepers and Dhaka College students late on Monday night turned violent and caused the clashes.
The injured included students, store workers, pedestrians, street hawkers and journalists.
Among the injured are Sazzad, Selim, Raju, Kawsar, Rahad, Alif, Yasin, Rubel and journalist Asif — all identified by a single name —and SATV cameraman Kabir Hossain.
Doctor Alauddin of DMCH said several people received serious injuries to their heads and were sent to the neurosurgery department. The others were being treated in the emergency department.
Inspector Bacchu Mia of the hospital’s police outpost said four people, including a student and three shopkeepers, were admitted to the DMCH.
The student is 22-year old Kanan Chowdhury. Two of the shop workers were identified with a single name as Morsalin, 22, and Yasin, 23. Morsalin was receiving treatment for severe injuries, he said.
Another student, Mosharraf Hossain was rushed to Square Hospital during the skirmish at night. He is under intensive care at the hospital, police said.
BLAMING EACH OTHER
Acting Principal Moinul said the college authorities tried to calm the students, but they could not because of the traders.
“Our students were demonstrating peacefully in the morning when the traders attacked them, leading to the fresh clashes. The problem cannot be solved because of them [shopkeepers],” he said.
The authorities were still trying to settle the issue, he added.
Shaheen Ahmed, president of New Market Shop Owners’ Association, however blamed the students for the prolonged clashes. “They students are coming out from the college suddenly and attacking the store workers before going in again. This has caused the clashes to continue throughout the day.”
He also claimed mainly street hawkers took part in the clashes to save their goods.
One of the hawkers who identified himself with a single name, Idris, was beaten up by police twice, but did not leave the scene.
Asked why he refused to leave, the 25-year-old pointed to more than 100 others like him and said, “We can’t leave because our life is in the street.”
Pointing to his makeshift shop – goods wrapped in a polythene sheet on the street – he said, “This is our capital. If we leave, these goods will be looted. What will we eat then? So, we’re guarding our shops.”
