At least three people were killed and 200 others injured in clashes among Hefajat men, Awami League activists and police in the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue and other areas on Sunday.
A DC traffic office, two police boxes and 68 vehicles were also torched by miscreants.
Panic gripped the city dwellers as violence escalated amid the Hefajat grand rally being staged at the city’s Shapla Chattar following its April 6 massive showdown at the same venue.
After the miscreants went on the rampage, vehicles almost disappeared from the city’s bustling streets. Many were seen walking back home on foot.
One of the deceased was identified as Siddiqur Rahman Siddique, 28, helper of a bus of ‘Hanif Paribahan’. The others, including a Hefajat man, could not be identified yet.
Witnesses said the clash between the Awami League and Hefajat men broke out in Baitul Mukarram area around 1:30pm when they brought separate processions in the area.
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 (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead. The two others also succumbed to their injuries at the DMCH.
The injured were admitted to different hospitals and private clinics.
Another triangular clash involving police, the Hefajat workers and the ruling party men broke out at the same place at 3pm and later it spilled over into Purana Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar, Kakrail and Press Club areas.
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.
A DC traffic office, two police boxes and 68 vehicles were also torched by miscreants, said witnesses and Fire Service sources.
Witnesses said miscreants set fire to a police box at Shantinagar around 6:20 pm while another at Mouchak at about 6:25 pm.
At least 30 vehicles parked in front of the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation were set alight by the miscreants around 5pm.
A police Pajero jeep was set afire at Mouchak around 6:25 pm while a bus and a bulldozer at Malibagh crossing around 6:20 pm.
At least 20 vehicles were set alight around the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the evening.
Seven BRTC buses and two private buses were torched in Malibagh rail crossing area in the evening.
A vehicle was torched in front of BG Press at Mohakhali.
A gas pipeline near the Bangabandhu National stadium was set afire around 4:45pm.
The DC traffic office (East Zone) in Purana Paltan was also torched during the clashes at the same time.
At about 5:30pm, 15 people, including 10 cops, were injured in a clash between police and the Hefajat workers near Nayabazar in the city.
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 Rab member Golam Rabbani, were injured in a clash between the Hefajat activists and law enforces near Motijheel Hockey Stadium at about 10:30am.
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