Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday, September 30, said a lack of coordination among the authorities involved in a hawker eviction drive may have contributed to the clashes in Mirpur, Dhaka, during which a police vehicle and three city corporation vehicles were set on fire.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat on preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations.

Responding to a question about whether authorities had prior information about the Dhaka North City Corporation’s (DNCC) plan to conduct the eviction drive with police assistance, the home minister said he had ordered an investigation into the incident.

“Based on what I have learned so far, I have ordered an investigation. It appears that the magistrate in charge and officials from the city corporation or RAJUK did not maintain proper communication with the police. I believe there may have been a coordination gap,” he said.

Salahuddin Ahmed added that the matter would be examined further to determine the circumstances that led to the clashes.

Hawkers Clash with Police During Mirpur Eviction Drive
A clash erupted between hawkers, DNCC officials and police during an eviction drive in the Mirpur area on Wednesday.

The operation began at around 10:00am, covering the area from Mirpur-10 to Mirpur-14, as part of the DNCC’s efforts to remove illegal encroachments from footpaths and roads.

Tensions escalated at one point, leading to a confrontation between hawkers and the city corporation officials and law enforcement personnel present at the scene.

Witnesses said a city corporation vehicle was set ablaze while a police vehicle was vandalised during the incident. Three city corporation vehicles were reportedly set on fire.

Several journalists covering the eviction drive were also allegedly assaulted by hawkers during the clashes.

Sun News/ rabbi