Mirpur:Several individuals, including police officers, were injured during a clash between hawkers and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) staff amid an eviction drive at Mirpur-10 on Wednesday morning.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the confrontation began on the footpath in front of Hope Market as DNCC conducted an eviction operation from Mirpur-10 to Mirpur-14 starting at around 10 a.m.
The altercation led to two DNCC dump trucks being set on fire and three bulldozers being vandalized, as reported by a DNCC official who wished to remain anonymous. A police vehicle was also damaged during the incident.
Hawkers alleged that the fire started from an electrical wire when DNCC personnel began clearing shops from the footpath, causing tension after some goods were damaged. Angry hawkers then retaliated by throwing sticks and bricks, resulting in the vandalism and burning of two DNCC vehicles.
Two units from the Fire Service managed to control the fire after approximately 15 to 20 minutes of effort. Meanwhile, media personnel covering the incident were also attacked. A vehicle belonging to Jamuna Television was vandalized, and a reporter and a cameraman from Somoy TV were assaulted. Furthermore, witnesses reported that Samakal photographer Mahbub Hossain Nabin was injured by several hawkers.
The clash disrupted traffic in the Mirpur-10 area for a period, prompting the deployment of additional police forces. Deputy Commissioner Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar of the DMP's Mirpur Division confirmed that several police officers were injured but stated that the situation has since returned to normal.