50 hurt, 190 held after fierce clash

Traders of Dhaka Trade Centre and street hawkers clashed again in the capital's Gulistan area yesterday, barely a day after the two sides fought over eviction of hawkers from footpaths.

At least 50 people, including a police official, were injured in yesterday's clash, said police.

According to witnesses, as hawkers started opening their makeshift shops on footpaths in front of Dhaka Trade Centre around 11:30am, traders of the market drove them out. In response, the hawkers threw brickbats at the traders.

At one state, hawkers from other parts of Gulistan joined the fight, turning the place into a battlefield.

The clash continued till 1:30pm with brief pauses.

Vehicular movement in the area remained suspended for more than two hours, causing huge tailbacks in surrounding areas. All shopping malls and markets in the Gulistan area were shut during the clash. 

Law enforcers had to fire teargas canisters to bring the situation under control, Tarique Bin Rashid, additional deputy commissioner (Motijheel division), told The Daily Star.

Police said around 190 traders and hawkers were detained from the spot and taken to the Paltan Police Station.

During the clash, Anwar Hossain, deputy commissioner (Motijheel zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, suffered injuries to his forehead.

He was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he had several stitches in his forehead, said Sub-Inspector Bachchu of the DMCH Police Outpost.

No case was filed in connection with the incident.

Dhaka Trade Centre was kept shut as of last night.

Belongings of hawkers on fire. Photo: Collected

On Thursday, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon and DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia visited Gulistan around 2:00pm to oversee eviction of hawkers from streets in the area.

After they left the spot, traders of Dhaka Trade Centre tried to evict hawkers from the footpaths in front of the market, triggering a clash around 4:00pm, according to witnesses.

Several traders and hawkers were injured in the clash.

MA Kasem, president of Bangladesh Hawkers Federation, told this correspondent yesterday that the DSCC on Thursday evicted hawkers from streets, not from footpaths. But the traders of the mall “evicted them even from footpaths and looted their goods”.

He said they want the authorities to form a committee to probe the incident and bring the culprits to book.

Asked about the allegation that traders looted hawkers' goods, shop owners at Dhaka Trade Centre said none of the traders were involved in looting.

On the condition of anonymity, a hawker leader told this correspondent, “We run our businesses on footpaths. This is a very crucial time for us, as sales of goods see a sharp rise during Ramadan. What do we do now?”

He said they were willing to reach an understanding with the traders.

Police said a hawker, Lutfar Rahman, filed a case with the Paltan Police Station against unnamed traders of the mall on Thursday.