A gun attack launched allegedly by a gang of ruling party cadres left two day-labourers dead and another injured at a construction site in the capital’s Moynarbagh at Madhya Badda yesterday morning.
The attack was made after the building owner had refused to pay the toll money demanded by local criminals.
The deceased are Faruq Hawlader, 30, who was also a contractor of the day-labourers, and Milon Hawlader, 26. With a bullet injury on his chest, another worker Mahmud Hossain, 25, was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Faruq and Milon were declared dead soon after they had been taken to the DMCH, said Iqbal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Badda police station.
According to the police and witnesses, a group of four to five masked criminals equipped with firearms and bombs appeared at the construction site around 8:30am. Four labourers were digging the land at that time.
Md Ripon, who survived the attack, said the criminals had first asked the labourers to stop work at the site. And as Faruq wanted to know the reason, they opened fire and blasted crude bombs indiscriminately.
“In the face of attacks with guns and bombs, we started running for safety. But Faruq, Milon and Mahmud could not save themselves,” said Ripon, who is a cousin of the injured. He said the criminals had fled the scene immediately.
OC Iqbal said the incident had taken place following a feud between Md Faruk Hossain, owner of the construction site, and some local leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League.
Family members of deceased Faruq said local criminals, led by one Nirob, were demanding toll when the construction work had begun.
The process of filing a case was on, police said.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
