At least 30 people, including seven students of Dhaka University, were injured in a triangular clash at Ananda Bazar market in city’s Chankharpool area on Thursday. Several vehicles were damaged and a bus was set afire during the mayhem. Among the injured, seven DU students and two journalists sustained bullet wounds as police lobbed rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station Sirajul Islam said the clash broke out when a Railway team, led by a magistrate, went to Ananda Bazar market at about 11:30 am to put up a signboard on the land of the market as it was earlier grabbed by a local influential person.
A group people swooped on the railway people protesting its move to evict the alleged grabbers. As police tried to resist them, they attacked sub-inspector Iftekhar, the OC said.
Additional police were sent to the spot to bring the situation under control. At one stage, witnesses said, a student of nearby Ekushey Hall of Dhaka University was hurt during the attack by land grabbers allegedly belonging to the ruling party.
As the news spread around, a large number of students came out from the hall and swooped on the land grabbers, leading to a chase and counter-chase. When police tried to disperse them, a triangular clash erupted in the area.
During the fight, police charged batons and fired rubber bullets at about 1:00 pm and brought the situation under control. The injured DU students are Sajeeb, of Applied Statistics department, Sohag, of Botany department, Imon, Applied Chemistry department and Rashed, Ifad and Shibly, of Zoology department.
They were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. A tense situation was prevailing in the area on Thursday evening –UNB
