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Four cases have been filed over clashes, vandalism and arson during a footpath eviction drive in Dhaka’s Mirpur-10 area, with around 1,000 people accused.
Of the cases, three were filed with Mirpur Model Police Station and one with Kafrul Police Station.
Mirpur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizur Rahman said on Thursday that the city corporation filed a case over the burning of vehicles, while police filed another over attacks on law enforcers and traffic police filed a third.
The three cases name between 400 and 500 accused, he said.
Meanwhile, Kafrul Police Station OC Mohammad Saiful Islam said the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) filed another case over the burning of a city corporation vehicle. Around 400-500 unidentified people have been accused in the case, and police are conducting drives to arrest those involved.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when the DNCC began an eviction drive around 9:30am to remove illegal occupants from footpaths between Mirpur-10 and Hope Market. The operation was led by DNCC Executive Magistrate Marufa Begum Neli.
During the drive, an excavator reportedly hit and severed an electrical wire while removing makeshift shops beneath the Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque Market near Hope Market, triggering a fire, according to local shopkeepers and witnesses.
Five shops were gutted in the fire. Two Fire Service units brought the blaze under control after 15-20 minutes.
Following the fire, angry hawkers and shopkeepers attacked city corporation personnel, triggering clashes. Police later arrived at the scene and also clashed with the hawkers.
The hawkers hurled bricks and stones at police, who responded by firing tear gas shells. Several police personnel were injured during the clashes.
Three city corporation vehicles were set on fire, while the windows of a police vehicle were vandalised.
Traffic on the Mirpur-10 to Mirpur-14 road was halted for some time due to the clashes. Journalists covering the incident also faced obstruction while taking photographs and recording videos.
The DNCC resumed the eviction drive in the afternoon, removing makeshift shops from both sides of the road between Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-13.