Home ›› 20 Apr 2022 ›› Front
The clash between Dhaka College students and New Market traders – which began on Monday night and continued sporadically throughout Tuesday – has so far left at least 30 people injured.
Around 24 people who sustained varying degrees of injury are now undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Most of them are New Market traders, shop employees and hawkers, sources say.
These clashes also disrupted vehicle traffic from Science Lab to Azimpur and created a heavy tailback at Mirpur Road and its adjacent areas.
Around Monday midnight, Dhaka College students and New Market traders engaged in a clash, with the former alleging that a few shopkeepers had attacked and stabbed a few of their classmates when they were shopping.
On a tip off, police later arrived in the area. Law enforcers lobbed tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to bring the situation under control after nearly four hours. Sources say some police personnel also got injured. A fire broke out in some shops at Chandrima Super Market and Nurjahan Super Market around 12pm, staring from crude bombs allegedly hurled by some students.
The fire was doused without any casualties, but traders prevented a fire service vehicle from reaching the scene, Khaleda Yasmin, deputy officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence told the media. Dhaka College Teachers Council Secretary Md Abdul Kuddus Shikder claimed that dozens of students have gotten injured in these clashes.
Seven journalists injured
At least seven journalists got injured in attacks while covering the sporadic clashes between students and traders in the New Market area since Monday midnight. They have received treatment at the DMCH. The injured journalists are – The Daily Star photographer Prabir Das, Deepto TV’s Senior Reporter Asif Zaman, cameraperson Imran Lipu, SA TV’s reporter Taifur Rahman Tuhin AjkerPatrika’s reporter Al Amin Razu, and online news portal Dhaka Post’s Senior Reporter Jasim Uddin Mahir, cameraperson Kabir Hossain.
DU, Eden College hold protests
Students from the Dhaka University and Eden Mohila College took to the streets in the New Market area on Tuesday, protesting the alleged attack on their peers. Protesters claimed that shop employees often misbehave with the students when they shop in the New Market area.
Some shop employees however claimed that they protested and protected their businesses during the clash as they are harassed by extortionists.
Shariful Islam, Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (New Market zone) said, “The students took to the streets on Tuesday morning to protest the Monday night’s alleged attack.
“Some of the students said they will not let the traders open their shops until the perpetrators of last night’s alleged attack are brought to justice.”
Some of the students claimed that two of their peers are being treated at the city’s Square Hospital after “sustaining eye injuries the police fired rubber bullets.”
Dhaka College halts classes, exams
Dhaka College has suspended all classes and exams, and closes dormitories until May 5, following the sporadic clashes between students and traders on Monday night.
A post from the college’s verified Facebook page read, “Due to unavoidable reasons, all classes and examinations of Dhaka College’s higher secondary and honours-masters programmes scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, have been suspended.”
