10 injured as BCL men clash with traders

Ten people were injured, five shops were damaged and three motorcycles were set on fire as Dhaka College unit Chhatra League activists clashed with traders over bargaining on a wedding sari in New Market area on Thursday.
The two-hour long sporadic clashes between the activists of the ruling Awami League-backed students organisation and traders, which began at Dhanmondi Hawkers Market at about 3:30, left traffic communication on Mirpur Road suspended and caused panic among the shoppers in the business hours.
Of the injured, Hawkers Market staff, three Chhatra League men, two passersby and a female non-governmental organisation worker were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Bismillah Cloth Store employee Habibur Rahman said that they had an altercation with a Dhaka College master’s student who was in shopping with her sister-in-law to buy a wedding sari.
‘They offered only Tk 2,000 against our asking price Tk 18,000, triggering the altercation,’ said Habibur.
Following the altercation, Dhaka College Chhatra League activists led by Mahbub and Jafor attacked traders at the market, triggering the clashes, market staff said.
The traders alleged that police were seen supporting the Chhatra League activists and were apparently reluctant to protect the valuables before those were damaged by the attackers, who, the traders alleged, were supporters of Dhaka College Chhatra League publicity secretary Shohel Rana.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner (Ramna division) Jashim Uddin denied the allegation and said that they had to fire rubber bullets and tear gas shells and blast sound grenades to contain the situation.
Shohel Rana also denied the allegation and claimed that general students clashed with the traders.

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