Staff Reporter :
At least 15 people were hurt in triangular clashes among police, hawkers and drug peddlers over collecting extortion and evicting hawkers from footpath in the city’s Chawkbazar and Mirpur areas respectively on Wednesday afternoon.Of them, bullet injured rickshaw-puller Abdur Rahman, 20, was admitted to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).Police have picked up at least 10 drug peddlers in the area for interrogation in this connection, police said.Rickshaw-puller Abdur Rahman received bullet in his left leg when the clash ensued between police, drug peddlers and local people in the Postagola area of Chawkbazar in the afternoon, said Maruf Hossain Sardar, Deputy Police Commissioner (Lalbagh Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).Gunshots were also heard during the clash, the police official said. The drug smugglers in a body attacked police when the law enforcers raided the area, he said.Chawkbazar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shamimur Rashid said that the ruling party men fought among themselves for extortion.Meanwhile, hawkers clashed with police during an eviction drive from the footpath in Mirpur area, said Shah Ali Police Sation’s Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain.The movement of vehicles from Mirpur- Section 1 Gol Chattar Intersection to Shah Ali Mazar was suspended due to clashes, the police official said. A number of police men were also injured being hit by brick chips thrown by hawkers, he said. “During the clash, shops were shut down. Eid shoppers ran hither and thither for shelter, the OC said.
