Unidentified miscreants vandalised the nameplate of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd on Friday night. They also defaced Sheikh Jamal’s mural on the club premises.
The club authorities claimed that miscreants had also lit a fire and fired blank shots inside Dhanmondi playground and hung some banners representing environmental and social organisations.
During a visit yesterday, this correspondent found the nameplate vandalised and a few burnt parts of wood and two to three abandoned crude bombs at the under-construction area inside the playground.
It was also found that the miscreants have hung three big banners that read: “We are congratulating Eng Mubasshar, Iqbal, Dana and Salma for protecting and opening Dhanmondi playground to public from the control of illegal government and Sheikh family. Courtesy: Environmentalists”.
Another eight small banners were also hung on the fences which read: “The false case filed by the nondemocratic government against architect Mubasshar Iqbal Habib, Dana and Salma would be withdrawn. Courtesy: Environmentalists”.
Earlier, a few posters with negative comments against the green activists hung on the playground fences were seen when protesters returned to movement to press home the demand for freeing the public playground from the club.
Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), told the Dhaka Tribune: “We did not hang those banners. The occupiers who had been trying to grab the public playground are plotting to put us in trouble.”
“We just hung few red flags around the illegal structures and a cartoon poster on the fence of the ground, nothing else,” he added.
Without mentioning any name, Iqbal said the occupiers were using Bangabandhu’s family name to reap personal benefits.
“We are expressing deep concern and condemning such wrongdoing of the occupiers. We also want Prime Minister’s intervention in the matter,” he added.
Anwarul Karim Helal, team manager of the club, said: “The act of vandalism and occurred on Friday night but we have no idea who did this.”
Replying to a question on the miscreants’ identities, he said: “We are not aware of their identities. However, action will be taken against those responsible, no matter if they are environmentalists or club people.”
“We have withdrawn our securities after the ground was reopened by the city corporation authorities,” he added.
Helal further said club President Manjur Kader is abroad now and decision would be taken when he would return.
Member of Green Voice Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed went to visit the ground yesterday morning but the club officials captured him and handed him over to Dhanmondi police. After hearing the news, other Green Voice members went to the police station and had Ishtiaque freed.
Meanwhile, different people associated with the club gave conflicting statements. Md Marafat Ali, coordinator of the security department of the club, said: “A group of six to eight people came here around 11:30 on Friday night, hung the banners and lit fire.”
Marafat said none from the club came out after hearing gunshot.
“We have just informed our top officials,” he said when asked why they did not inform police.
The workers working in the ground said there were about 30 to 40 people of the club on that night.
Abdur Razzak, field manager of Oriented, the company appointed for the construction, said: “A group of six to eight people came at night to hang the banners. We have heard gunshots around 10:30pm but stayed inside for safety.”
Dr Rezaul Karim Firoz, who works at the anesthesia department of Sikder Medical College who loves near the playground, said: “We heard the sound of firing between 9pm to 9:30pm but could not understand the matter.”
Md Sultan, caretaker of the building where Firoz lives, said: “I have seen some people running inside the ground but could not identify them because it was dark.”
