Those responsible for New Market violence to face action: Home Minister

Those responsible for violent clashes in New Market area will face action, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday.

“Members of law enforcement agencies are working showing their utmost patience during the clashes between the traders and the students. Hopefully the situation will be cooled down in a while,” he said.

The minister made these remarks while responding to a question from reporters after a meeting at the Ministry on the overall law and order situation in the country ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, payment of salaries and allowances of garment workers before Eid and keeping roads and highways safe and jam-free, reports UNB.

He said the clash broke from an argument over a trivial matter which was unexpected. Many people including journalists were injured and many students and traders were sent to the hospital for first aid, he said.

“Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner and Inspector General of Police have taken immediate steps,” he added.

Meanwhile, asked why no action was soon after the clash broke out early Tuesday, DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said, “We have to take some precautions while dealing with students. It's not a common gathering or a mass gathering that we can open fire to disperse them. The students were throwing brickbats from the roof of a 10-storey building.”

Police are trying to convince the traders and shop employees to return to their workplaces, he added.

“Workers or shop employees from all the surrounding markets have taken to the streets, making our effort sto bring the situation under control tougher.” “We are sending police forces wherever we receive news of clashes,” DMP Commissioner added.

Around midnight on Monday, a clash ensued between the traders and college students, with the latter alleging that few of their peers were thrashed and stabbed by a couple of shopkeepers when they had gone to the market for shopping.

Police lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to bring the situation under control after nearly four hours.

A fresh clash erupted as the students went to the intersection around 10am on Tuesday to form a human chain in protest against last night’s alleged attack on them of New Market at Nilkhet intersection.

Over 30 people including journalists and students were injured as students of Dhaka College locked into a series of clashes again with traders.

“At least 30 students of Dhaka College were injured in the clash that started from last night”, said Dr Md Abdul Kuddus Shikder, Secretary of Dhaka College Teachers Council.