Despite the fact that firecracker explosions led to the clash among Bihari people, cops and locals from adjacent Bauniabad area, the Bihari community pointed fingers at local lawmaker Elias Uddin Mollah.
They alleged that the lawmaker’s men took advantage of the situation that left 10 people killed, including nine who were burnt alive.
The community sees the incident as a ploy to grab the land belonging to Bihari camp, electricity and water supply business.
The clash that killed at least 10 people and injured many took place in Kalshi of the capital’s Mirpur area under Pallabi police station Saturday, a day after Shab-e-Barat night, a holy night for the Muslim community.
The Bihari people claimed that the lawmaker and his men brought police and local youth from Bauniabad area to fuel this violence and now they call it a clash among themselves.
They added that at first about 200-250 people came from Bauniabad followed by another 400-500, all backed by around 200-250 policemen.
Bihari people said the youth attacked their houses and shops and some of them were torched.
They also claimed that some 20-25 people carried pistols with them while many had sharp weapons, bamboo, sticks and bricks.
“I have been living here from 43 years, but I have never seen such violence before and it is hard to believe that the local Bangalees can resort to violence against us,” said Ajimunnessa Ashrafi, a resident in that Bihari camp.
“All this happened because we denied providing electricity supply from our supply channel which was established by the Bangladesh Army,” she said.
A Bihari man Munna, 48, an eyewitness who received rubber bullet injury, said: “A few days ago the lawmaker along with the officer-in-charge and second officer of Pallabi police station including the lawmaker’s men came here and asked us to be silent if the electricity was supplied to houses of “Raju Basti” (A slum).”
“Then a quarrel erupted as we denied providing electricity to Raju Basti,” he added.
Many Bihari people claimed that the OC threatened them.
Munna later claimed that police filed a case of electricity theft against 20 Bihari people including four women.
“I am one of the accused,” he said.
Another Bihari man Shahjahan said they were threatened several times by both police and the lawmaker’s supporters.
Raju Basti that accommodates 40 families is situated next to the new Kurmitola Bihari camp, according to local Bihari people.
They added that the new camp which consisted of around 412 houses was established by the army in the period of last caretaker government.
The Biharis claimed that the slum area which stretches over 50 bighas of land was once an open field used for vegetable cultivation by their people.
But after the Awami League came to power, the lawmaker’s supporters grabbed that land and raised some 40 houses that were rented.
Some Bihari people, requesting anonymity, said the lawmaker’s men Kala, Tayob, Tazu, were the masterminds behind grabbing this land.
“Several times the lawmaker’s men vandalised their water and electricity channels,” said Shahjahan, another Bihari man.
The Bihari people also claimed that every time they were threatened by the time they tried to prevent the theft of power supply.
Ashraf Uddin, a local resident in that area and a private employee, said: “Last night around 11pm I heard 40-50 young unknown men explode firecrackers which made a loud bang while there were 3-4 police men on patrol.”
“I did not find such a scenario in my life before. It was an unexpected situation for people in the area,” he added.
“Such incident wound not have occurred if the outsiders were not called there,” he concluded.
