A bus helper was gunned down and 150 others were injured in clashes among Hefajat men, Awami League activists and police in the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue area on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Siddiqur Rahman Siddique, 28, helper of a bus of Hanif Paribahan.
Witnesses said a group of Hefajat men were staying on the southern side of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque around 1:30pm.
Another group of the ruling Awami League workers were also staying in front of their central office on Bangabandhu Avenue at that time.
A chase and counter-chase broke out between the workers of the two organisations as they brought out their processions.
Police fired several hundred gunshots and 12 teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
Helper Siddique, injured in the firing, was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
The injured were admitted to different hospitals and private clinics.
Another triangular clash involving police, the Hefajat workers and the ruling party men began at the same place at 3pm and later it spread to Purana Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar, Kakrail and Press Club areas.
The scattered clashes were going on in those areas till filing of this report at 4pm today.
A group of people vandalised Rangs Bhaban at Purana Paltan and set KFC food court, CPB central party office and several roadside book shops near the CPB office on fire during the clashes.
Two minibuses were also torched near the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and at Purana Paltan during the mayhem.
Meanwhile, seven people, including a Rab member, were hurt in separate clashes between law enforcers and workers of Hefajat-e-Islam in the city earlier on Sunday.
Three vehicles, including two police bikes, were also torched allegedly by the Hefajat activists during the clashes.
Three people, including a Rab member, were injured in a clash between the Hefajat activists and law enforces near Motijheel Hockey Stadium at about 10:30am.
The three injured were identified as Rab member Golam Rabbani, bus driver of Raja City Paribahan Sobhan and his helper Dulal.
Witnesses said the Hefajat activists torched a bus of the Paribahan in the area at about 10:30am, injuring two workers of the bus.
Rab member Golam Rabbani was injured when a group of law enforces came under attack by the Hefejat men as they went to resist the activists during the attack on the bus.
In another incident, two police bikes were torched near the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque as the Hefajat men in a procession were marching towards the Shapla Chattar in the capital at about 12:30pm.
Witnesses said hundreds of activists of the organization were marching towards the Shapla Chattar to attend a rally there. When they were passing by the National Mosque, police obstructed them.
Being obstructed, the Hefajat activists threw brick chips targeting police, resulting in a clash between them.
The law enforces fired several teargas shells and fired several rubber bullets to disperse them.
A chase and counter-chase took place that left some people injured.
At one stage, the Hefajat activists torched two police bikes.
Source: UNBConnect
The Hefazate Islam were protesting as they had announced and planned, the police were there to contain & control them. Now could someone explain what were the Awami League activists doing there – if not adding fuel to fire.