BNP leader Maqbool arrested in New Market-Dhaka College clash

Former president of Dhaka New Market thana BNP Advocate Maqbool Hossain, the main accused in the case filed over the clash between Dhaka College students and New Market traders, was arrested by Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)from his Dhanmondi residence on Friday afternoon.

DMP Additional Commissioner AKM Hafeez Akhter said Maqbool was arrested in a case filed with the New Market police station over illegally crowding the area, obstructing police work, assaulting police, injuring people and vandalizing by throwing brick-bats.

The DB are interrogating him. He will be handed over to the New Market police station after interrogation, he added.

Earlier, on Monday night, an alteration between staff of Welcome and Capital Fast Food said to be turned into a violent clash. 

Both shops are allotted to BNP leader Maqbool as per the documents of Dhaka North and Dhaka South. He rented the shops to Rafiqul Islam and Shahidul Islam who are relatives.

Maqbool claimed, "The police made him an accused in the case because he is a leader of the BNP."

DB Joint Commissioner Mahbub Alamsaid the investigation into the incident had already yielded sufficient evidence. Detectives believe that a third party tried to make the situation worsein the. They are looking for them.

On Wednesday night, the police filed two cases with the New Market police station. One was charged with assault on police, the other with explosives.

The case was named after 24 people were named in the attack on the police and 1,000 unnamed people were charged. On the other hand, there are 200 unidentified accused in the case filed under the Explosives Act.

CASE FILED FOR DEATH OF TWO IN THE CLASH

A murder case has been filed over the death of Md Mursalin, a shop assistant injured in the clash.
His brother Nur Mohammad filed the case on Thursday with the New Market police station, accusing 100-150 unidentified people, said New Market police stationofficer-in-charge SM Quaiyum.

Md Mursalin succumbed to his injuries at 4:40am on Thursday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and an autopsy was conducted by the forensic department.

The 24-year-old store employee got injured on Tuesday, the second day of the clashes between students and shopkeepers.

He was rushed to the DMCH and was undergoing treatment at the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. According to doctors, Mursalin bled to death from his injuries. 

On Tuesday, Nahid Hasan, 18, who worked for a courier service company located in the Bata Signal area, died after being critically injured in the violent clashes. On Wednesday night, his uncle Mohammad Saeed filed a murder case with the New Market police station accusing 100 to 150 unidentified people.The case has been transferred to the DB for investigation.

Mahbub Alam said, "We are in charge of Nahid's case. We have started the investigation but none has been arrested so far."

DMP officials said DB police would investigate the two murder cases and New Market police will investigate the two cases filed by the police as plaintiffs.

The reason or reasons for the clashes are still unclear, with different parties making different claims.

It all began with an argument after some Dhaka College students reportedly refused to pay bills at a restaurant on Monday night, according to New Market traders. The argument quickly took a violent turn and exploded around midnight.

But a police source citing CCTV footage said the conflict began after employees of two fast- New Market food shops got into an altercation, where the Dhaka College students joined later.