15 injured as SCC staff, transport workers clash 1 held with firearm

At least 15 people were injured in a clash between Sylhet City Corporation employees and transport workers in the city on Wednesday during a city corporation drive against an illegal car park.

An SCC councillor and a sub-assistant engineer were injured and more than 25 vehicles were vandalised.

Transport workers also blocked Dhaka-Sylhet Highway for two hours beginning at 2:00pm in protest at the attack on them.

Police fired blank shots to disperse the people involved in the clash.

They also arrested a Swechchhasebak League activist carrying a rifle from the spot.

Sylhet District Transport Workers’ Union president Moynul Islam declared on Wednesday evening that they would go for a transport strike for indefinite period from Monday, if the local administration and city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury failed to determine a place for setting up a parking stand for private cars and microbuses.

Moynul said that at a meeting of Sylhet District Bus, Minibus and Microbus Workers Union in its office at Dakshin Surma in the city.

Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said he along with several officials went to the spot immediately after receiving the news of the attack on corporation employees and tried to deter transport workers.

‘But, they suddenly started hurling stones on us while I was talking to their leaders,’ he added.

He also said that he assured the workers of a place if the workers could find out a vacant space near the car park.

Arif also alleged that a youth with a rifle turned up at the spot and tried to kill him.

SCC councillor Rezaul Karim Ludi, who was injured in the clash, told reporters that they went to remove an illegal car park that was occupying the footpath and part of the Court Point-Chowhatta-Ambarkhana Road as part of the corporation’s initiative to expand the road.

‘But, the transport workers attacked us as they were not agreed to remove the illegal parking stand and injured me and a sub-assistant engineer Tamim Ahmed,’ Ludi claimed.

He also said that they on Saturday gave three days to transport workers to leave the place but they did not listened to the directive.

Local traders told New Age that the SCC employees also launched a counter attack on transport workers, triggering a half-hour-long clash that injured at least 15 people of both sides.

Sylhet District Transport Workers Union general secretary Abdul Muhith alleged that the union members had just tried to save themselves from the attack of SCC workers.

‘They injured seven transport workers and vandalised more than 25 vehicles,’ Muhith claimed. 

Sylhet Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (north) Azbahar Ali Sheikh told New Age that they took the situation under control after about 30 minutes of the beginning of the clash through firing 16 shots in blank.

‘A young man named Faysal Ahmed Fahad, 38, was also arrested along with a rifle from the spot during the clash,’ he also said.

Swechchhasebak League’s Sylhet city unit general secretary Debangshu Das said Faysal is the liberation war affairs secretary of the organisation.

He also said that they would take actions against him if allegations against him were found true.

Transport workers blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at Chandirpul Point and Humayun Rashid Square at Dakshin Surma and demanded resignation of city mayor Arif and SMP deputy commissioner (traffic) Faysal Mahmud.

Dakhin Surma police officer-in-charge Monirul Islam told New Age that they brought the traffic movement to normal at around 4:00pm after convincing the transport worker leaders to withdraw the demonstrations.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/130490/15-injured-as-scc-staff-transport-workers-clash