The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has filed a lawsuit naming 11 persons out of 1,200 accused, hours after fighting broke out during an anti-encroachment sweep in Chittagong’s New Market neighborhood.
Five law enforcement officers were assaulted during the altercation that happened Monday afternoon about a kilometer west of the Kotwali police station, prompting the police to file a separate complaint.
By Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., none of the suspects could be taken into custody.
Hawkers claim that because the raid damaged their business and they had already invested millions of dollars ahead of Ramadan, the busiest time of year, they deserved appropriate rehabilitation.
According to its officer-in-charge (OC), Obaidul Haque, bench assistant Abu Zafar Chowdhury of the CCC Executive Magistrate’s Office filed one of the cases under the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Act 2019 at the police station yesterday morning at around four in the morning.
The named accused are Chittagong Metropolitan Hawkers’ Samity General Secretary Masum, its president Miron Hossain Milon, joint general secretary Shah Alam Bhuiyan, Chittagong Footpath Hawkers’ Samity President Nurul Alam Ledu, its general secretary Jasim Mia, Chittagong Metropolitan Hawkers’ Samity members Shahin Ahmad and Nur Mohammad, Chittagong Hawkers’ League former president Rishi Biswas, its general secretary Harunur Rashid Roni, and hawker leaders Tareq Haider and Sohel.
The clashes ensued when the CCC started a mobile court raid to remove illegal structures erected by hawkers on the footpaths and even on parts of the roads in the New Market and Station Road areas.
The hawkers materialized in large numbers in the midst of the raid, yelling anti-drive slogans and demanding an end to the drive.
Around 3:30 pm, the hawkers began throwing brick chips at the CCC Executive Magistrate Chaiti Sarbabidya-led mobile court as it was on its way to New Market following a raid in the Station Road area close to Chittagong Railway Station. In addition, the infuriated street vendors damaged multiple automobiles, four of which belonged to the city corporation.
They attacked the cops as well after they attempted to scatter them. A series of chases and counter-chases resulted in the injuries of two CCC employees and at least five police officers.
As evidence of the tight circumstances on Monday, Chaiti stated: “We executed the raid because the hawkers continued to occupy the area in spite of our actions.”
The CCC crew was forced to seek refuge in a public restroom next to the railway station as a result of the increasingly violent conflicts.
While the two CCC employees sustained major injuries to their heads and waists, Chaiti herself sustained injuries to her leg.
OC Obaidul stated that they were attempting to apprehend the accused when questioned about them yesterday.
The fighting lasted for about an hour before the police used tear gas shells and rubber bullets to put an end to it.
