Thousands of Biharis from the Kurmitola Bihari Camp in the capital’s Mirpur area yesterday took to the streets, demanding arrest and trial of lawmaker Elias Uddin Mollah and his cohorts for allegedly orchestrating Saturday’s violence.
Chanting slogans, Biharis of all ages blocked the Kalshi road around 10am and vandalised some vehicles in protest of the killings of at least nine Biharis on Saturday. The blockade was lifted in the evening.
The demonstrations were also joined by the residents of other Bihari camps in Mirpur and the Mohammadpur Geneva Camp.
They also burnt an effigy of MP Elias during the agitation.
“First, we want the prime minister’s intervention in this case; second, arrest of all criminals involved with the killing, arson attack, vandalism and violence in the area and exemplary punishment to the criminals, including their political godfather MP Elias and his cohorts,” said Jobbar Khan, president of the Kurmitola Bihari Camp Committee.
“Police have to release our detained brothers immediately,” he added.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mirpur Deputy Commissioner Imtiaz Ahmed said 14 platoons of police had been deployed in the area to avert any untoward situation.
“We have been observing the situation and we will not bar them if they stay peaceful,” he said yesterday evening.
Earlier in the day, the inhabitants of the Mohammadpur camp staged a demonstration by blocking a road in the area.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the victims of Saturday’s violence were handed over to their families at 9:15pm.
At least nine members of a family were burnt alive when eight homes at the Kurmitola camp were set ablaze following a clash between Biharis and law enforcers, who were allegedly accompanied by locals early yesterday.
Another person with rubber-bullet pellet injuries, reportedly from police firing, succumbed to his injuries at hospital.
Six cases filed
Sub-Inspector Yasin of Pallabi police station said six cases, including one for killing and another for assaulting police, were filed against 1,200 unnamed people in connection with the violence at Kalshi and its surrounding areas.
“We think more cases will be filed in this connection,” he said, adding that names of some individuals had been added in the cases. He declined to disclose the names.
However, family members of the victims of the violence did not lodge any case.
SI Mominul filed the murder case while SI Zahid filed the case for assault on police. A local named Mobarak filed another case against some unidentified people for vandalising a local mosque. Another person, Faruk, filed a case against 800 people for stabbing him at Baunia Bandh and looting his shop during the violence.
Parvez, a resident of Mirpur 11, filed the fifth case against 200-300 people for attacking him during the violence, while Apu, a resident of Paris Road of Mirpur 11, filed the last one for an attack on him the same day.
Forensic doctors had conducted autopsy of the 10 victims and their DNA samples had been collected for ensuring their identities, said AKHM Shafiuzzaman, an assistant professor Dhaka Medical College.