Bangladesh
New Market Clash New Market clash: BNP leader Maqbool arrested
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, April 23: Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) police have arrested former BNP New Market police station area president Maqbool Hossain, the primary accused in a case filed by police in connection with the clash between Dhaka College students and New Market traders that had claimed two lives.
Additional Commissioner of Detective Police AKM Hafeez Akhter said this on Friday.
He said Maqbool Hossain was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence on Friday afternoon. After his arrest, he was brought to the DB office on Minto Road for questioning. The two shops — Welcome and Capital Fastfood — staff of which clashed in the New Market on Monday night, have been allotted to Maqbool by the city corporation. However, Maqbool did not run any shop himself. Rafiqul Islam and Shahidul Islam have rented two shops. Rafiqul and Shahidul are relatives.
Businessmen and employees of New Market clashed with students of Dhaka College around 12 am on Monday (April 18). The clash lasted for about two and a half hours. After that the situation was brought under control at night but the clashes started again after 10 am on Tuesday, which lasted until evening.
More than 50 people from both sides were injured in the incident and are being treated at the hospital. Some of them are in critical condition. In addition, two people, who were seriously injured in the clash, succumbed to their wounds later at the hospital. One of them was a deliveryman while the other one was a New Market shop employee.
Police have filed two suo-motto cases in connection with the clash between Dhaka College students and businessmen in New Market area. One case has been registered under the Explosives Act and another with charges of assault on police. A total of 1,200 people, including businessmen, employees and students of Dhaka College, were accused in these two cases.
Md. Nadim Hossain, the father of deliveryman Nahid who was killed in the clash, has also filed a murder case with the New Market police station against 'unknown' persons. About 1,400 people have been named as unnamed accused in these three cases. However, in only one of the three cases, the names of 24 people including one BNP leader have been mentioned. The plaintiff in this case is the police.
