Bangladesh
Shahbag Jamaat arson following Sayeedi's death causes a loss of Tk 15 lakh
Dhaka, August 17: After the death of Delawar Hossain Sayeedi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of crimes against humanity, police clashed with the Jamaat supporters over the incident of vandalism and arson at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Shahbagh intersection around the ambulance carrying his body. However, the police said to use 519 rounds of rubber bullets to disperse protesters. Besides, police are claiming that there has been a loss of around Tk 14-15 lakh in the vandalism-fire incident.
During the incident, 142 rounds of lead bullets, 13 long gas shells, 21 short gas shells, 39 soft kinetic projectiles, 23 seven bang grenades and 30 sound grenades were fired during the incident.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said that after bathing the body of Delawar Hossain Sayeedi, the family prepared to take it to Pirojpur. Then thousands of Jamaat workers, who had already positioned themselves in BSMMU and Shahbagh, raised the demand that they want to take the dead body after offering Janaza prayers. Around half past 2 in the night they prayed for half an hour instead of the funeral prayer. They said, "We are not offering Janaza prayers, we will do it later."
But when the body was taken out to be taken away in a car, thousands of Jamaat-Shibir activists lay down in front of the car. They will not allow the body to be taken to Pirojpur. Meanwhile, Jamaat-Shibir workers attacked the police officers and members accompanying the hearse. They also started vandalizing cars. Several senior police officers including DC Ramana were injured in this attack. They vandalized 4-5 police cars. He set fire to two motorcycles. The police patiently endured this violence.
At one point, keeping in mind the patients under treatment in the hospital, the police used very limited force to prevent vandalism and law and order. Arrangements were made to send Sayeedi's body to Pirojpur after throwing some tear gas.
When asked about this, DMP's Media and Public Relations Department Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) Md. Farooq Hossain told Jago News that Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists started coming to BSMMU after Sayeedi's death. At one stage they started shouting provocative slogans in front of the hospital gate. Late at night, emergency patients and relatives who came to Dhaka Medical College, BSMMU and Bardem Hospital started crying because they could not go to the hospital. When the protestors were asked to leave the road, they behaved recklessly and violently with the police.
