Ivy 'stable'

Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy. Star's file photo

Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy suffered a brain haemorrhage and is now having difficulties in recalling many past events, one of the physicians treating her at the capital's Labaid Hospital said yesterday.

Ivy and 50 others were injured as supporters of local Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman attacked the mayor and her followers over eviction of street hawkers, leading to a fierce clash in Narayanganj's Chashara area on Tuesday. Ivy suffered injuries in her leg that got swollen. But her wounds are healing fast.

"However, a CT scan conducted on Mayor Ivy on Thursday found that she had suffered brain haemorrhage... This is kind of a stroke. But, her condition is stable now," said Prof Baren Chakraborty, senior consultant cardiologist at the hospital.

Asked about the cause of the haemorrhage, the doctor said, “It is very difficult to say. We are not going into that.”

Replying to a query, he said Ivy's only problem is that she is having difficulties in recalling many past events.

Such patients remain stable. But the problem is that bleeding may start again within three to four days in some cases, he said.

Ivy will be kept under observation at the hospital for three to four days, Baren said, adding that she has no heart problems.

The doctors will conduct another CT scan on her today.

NO CASES Filed

No case has been filed in connection with Tuesday's mayhem even four days after the incident, reports Our Narayanganj correspondent.

On Wednesday, Ivy said she would take legal steps against the attackers, alleging that an attempt was made to kill her from just two yards away.

But she suddenly fell ill the following day, and was brought to the Labaid Hospital from Narayanganj.

Neither Ivy nor anyone on her behalf filed any case over the clash. Osman, or his supporters or even the hawkers didn't go to police to lodge any complaints either.

Police are yet to arrest anyone even though Jubo League leader Niazul Islam, loyal to Osman, and several others were seen brandishing firearms during the clash.

Police yesterday said they were examining the video clips and photos of those who carried firearms during the clash. 

Narayanganj Additional Superintendent of Police (admin) Mostafizur Rahman said, "A three-member committee comprising officials from the district administration, police and Rab is probing the incident.

“We are trying to arrest those who carried firearms during the clash."

There had been tensions in the city as Osman took a stance against Ivy's decision to evict illegal hawkers from footpaths, locals said.

At a rally on Monday afternoon, the AL lawmaker said the hawkers cannot be evicted until they are rehabilitated, and that they would do business on footpaths from 5:00pm to 10:00pm on Tuesdays till February 21.

Ivy declared that she would not allow hawkers to occupy footpaths.

Meanwhile, hawkers yesterday resumed their business on the footpaths of the city, except on the Bangabandhu Road.

Traffic on the city roads was thin as the city residents fear further clash over the eviction of hawkers. Additional police personnel were deployed at different points of the city to ward off any untoward incident.

Narayanganj District Hawker Sangram Parishad Convener Asadul Islam Asad said police had prevented hawkers from selling goods on the footpaths of the Bangabandhu Road.

"We will not use the footpaths on the Bangabandhu Road until a decision is taken on the matter," he said.

Additional SP Mostafizur said Ivy and Osman would decide on the rehabilitation of the hawkers who do business on the Bangabandhu Road.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader visited Ivy at the Labaid Hospital yesterday, BSS adds.

Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, enquired about her health and wished her early recovery.