At least 15 people sustained bullet injuries when police opened fire on traders after an altercation with a Dhaka North City Corporation official, acting as magistrate, during an eviction drive in the capital's Banani Super Market yesterday morning.
The injured include traders, two pedestrians and a security guard of the market. Of them, 10 were admitted to Kurmitola Hospital, four to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while critically injured Al-Amin was taken to the National Institute of Ophthalmology.
Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka north BM Enamul Haque alleged that the traders had created obstacles in performing duties of the official in question, Mahbubur Rahman. He claimed that the police had fired blank shots only.
DNCC General Manager (transport) Mahbubur went to the market around 11:30am with seven police constables to conduct the eviction drive.
As soon as he reached the first floor, Mahbubur started scattering and throwing products showcased in front of some shops terming those illegal, Bukhtiar Parvez, joint secretary of Banani DCC Unique Complex Shop Owners’ Association, told the Dhaka Tribune.
When he wanted to slap fines on some shop owners, the traders protested his move. At one stage, Mahmud Hasan Azad, secretary general of the association, asked the magistrate to show documents for inspection.
The DNCC official got angry at this and started humiliating Azad. “He asked me why I did not receive phone calls from Nipu recently,” Azad said.
“At this, an altercation began while the magistrate and the businessmen were coming out of the market. Police fired eight to ten rounds of rubber bullets leaving at least 15 people injured,” according to Parvez.
After the shooting, took place in front of the market around 12:15pm, the magistrate and the police team accompanying him left the spot, he added.
The identity of Nipu could not be verified immediately. But Azad said Nipu is a middleman who collects money from shops of different markets in the area.
The traders claimed that they had not been warned before the drive was launched. Even Banani police said they were unaware of the drive.
Asked about the incident, Mahbubur told the Dhaka Tribune that association Secretary General Azad had built some illegal shops inside the market. He conducted the drive to evict those unauthorised shops.
“I was forced to order shooting since Azad and his associates attacked me and the police team,” the official said claiming that the police had fired blank shots only.
Mahbubur also claimed that he had informed the OC of Banani police about the drive in writing.
However, OC Bhuiyan Mahbubur Rahman refuted the claim. “Had he informed us in advance, the situation could have been avoided.”
DNCC CEO Enamul said Mahbubur had been sent to conduct the eviction drive with magistracy power. He also said they would file a case against the unruly shopkeepers.
Mayor-elect of the DNCC Annisul Huq visited the market later in the afternoon and vowed to look into the mater. Annisul said he would talk to the DNCC authorities to understand the situation.
The Banani OC said they were investigating on which ground the police had opened fire on the traders.
Sheikh Shahinur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Banani police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police personnel with the magistrate were from the office of the Public Order Management at Mirpur.