Staff Correspondent
The surrounding areas of Baitul Mukarram National
Mosque turned into a battlefield yesterday when
members of an Islamic organisation clashed with
police leaving over 50 injured including 10
policemen and 15 pedestrians.
Witnesses said the hour-long clash started around
2:15pm when police resisted about 500 activists
of Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee attempting
to march towards the office of the chief adviser
in a procession after holding a rally on the
mosque premises.
Khelafat Majlish and Islami Shashontantra Andolan
recently formed the Anti-Quran Law Resistance
Committee to protest against the National Women
Development Policy approved by the advisers’
council recently.
"As police halted their progress, the agitating
activists started pelting them with brickbats and
broke through the police ring," said pedestrian
Mostofa Kamal who took shelter near the mosque
during the clash.
Fifteen pedestrians including two children Shaon,
12, and Badhon, 9, were injured.
Employees of nearby shop Mithu Carpets said,
"When police locked the gate at the north side,
the activists came through other gates and
attacked police with bamboo sticks and brickbats."
At one stage, police resorted to charging
truncheons and firing teargas canisters to
disperse them. Police used around 10 teargas
shells.
During the clash, the activists set fire to two
motorbikes of law enforcers and damaged over 10
vehicles including two sports utility vehicles of
the Islamic Foundation and the Ministry of
Religious Affairs.
Chases and counter chases took place between the police and the activists.
Other witnesses said all business establishments
were closed for three hours due to repeated
attacks of the activists.
The injured activists and pedestrians received
treatment from Dhaka Medical College Hospital,
Suhrawardy Hospital and different clinics in the
area while the policemen were treated at
Rajarbagh Police Hospital.
Farid Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of
Paltan Police Station, told The Daily Star, "The
unruly attackers injured several policemen,
including Assistant Commissioner [AC] Pankaj Roy."
He said they would take legal action against
those who were involved in the offence.
Two units of Fire Service and Civil Defence
rushing to the spot to douse the burning
motorbikes could not do their jobs as the
Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee activists
attacked them and chased them away.
People who went to the mosque for Zohr prayers were stuck inside the mosque.
Vehicular movement in the area came to a halt
during the clash and created gridlocks on nearby
streets which had a knock-on effect on traffic
situation on other parts of the city.
Before the clash, the Anti-Quran Law Resistance
Committee held a rally on the mosque ground where
they demanded resignation of Rasheda K Chowdhury,
adviser to the caretaker government.
Terming the National Women Development Policy an
anti-Islamic law, they threatened the government
of toppling it if it did not amend the policy.
After the clash, the organisation held a press
conference at the office of Khelafat Majlish.
They claimed police prevented them from carrying
out their peaceful activities and injured over
100 activists.
Maulana Abdur Rob Yusufi, Nayeb-e-Amir of
Khelafat Majlish, spoke at the press conference
among others.