New Market reopens as 1,400 sued over students-traders clash
A salesman who was injured in the clash, died on Thursday morning while undergoing treatment at DMCH
Following a two-day closure over clashes between traders and students, shops in the New Market area reopened on Thursday morning after the authorities accepted the demands of Dhaka College students.
The decision to reopen the market was taken in a meeting held at the Bangladesh Science and Industry Research Council (BCSIR) on Wednesday night, where representatives from the ministries of education and home affairs, the New Market Business Owners Association and Dhaka College took part.
The students demanded compensation and the removal of some police officers over the clashes during their meeting.
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Meanwhile, Mohammad Morsalin, 24, who worked at a clothing store in New Market, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital at 4:35am on Thursday.
The 24-year-old man was critically injured in the clash that took place on Tuesday in the New Market area. After two days of struggle, he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Thursday at the ICU of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said Bachchu Mia, in charge of the DMCH police outpost.
SM Kayum, officer-in-charge (OC) of New Market police station, said three cases were filed with the New Market police station against some 1,400 unidentified people.
Sub-Inspector Mehedi Hasan filed a case under the Explosive Substances Act, he said.
Inspector (investigation) Yamin Kabir lodged another case against 22 people, including New Market unit BNP's former president Makbul Hossain, on allegations of obstructing police's work, attack, and vandalism, said OC Kayum.
Md Sayed, uncle of the deliveryman Nahid Hasan who died in the clashes, filed a murder case.
On Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shuvra Chakrabarty accepted the statements of the cases and fixed 7 June for submission of the probe report.
A clash ensued between Dhaka College students and some traders in the capital's New Market area on Monday midnight.
Protesting the incident, hundreds of students from the campus rushed to the spot and attacked the marketplace with locally made weapons.
The intense situation persisted for around two and a half hours with chases and counter chases taking place during the time. A number of shops were vandalised and several traders were also physically assaulted in the attack, the students added.
In response, the traders soon organised and chased out the students from the market's premise.
The clashes resumed on Tuesday morning. A day-long conflict between shopkeepers, students and police left deliveryman Nahid dead and more than 50 injured.
The situation improved on Wednesday but shopkeepers refrained from opening the market in face of students' protest.
On Wednesday evening, students of Dhaka College announced a 10-point demand at a press briefing. Their demands were accepted by the authorities in the meeting held later in the night.
