Dhaka’s Gendaria: ‘Suddenly, 20–25 people arrived and began firing indiscriminately’

It was around 7:45 pm. Suddenly, a group of 20 to 25 people arrived, many of them carrying firearms. They ordered shopkeepers to close their businesses and began firing indiscriminately.

This was how witnesses described Sunday night’s shooting in Gendaria in the capital. According to them, panic spread as the sound of gunfire rang out, prompting people to run for safety and shopkeepers to hurriedly shut their businesses. Several people were injured in the shooting.

One of the witnesses, grocer Md Idris, 48, told Prothom Alo, “I was serving a customer when I suddenly heard gunshots. I quickly pulled down the shutter and left.” He said most of the attackers were carrying weapons.

The shooting took place in an alley beside Swamibagh Munshirtek Jam-e-Mosque, near the railway line in Gendaria. Three people were shot and injured. They were tea-stall owner Alamgir, 33, Asha Akter, 20, and Siam, 18.

Asha was standing outside her home when she was hit by a bullet. Siam, an employee at a food shop, was shot while attempting to close the shop’s shutter.

Meanwhile, Omar Nabi Babu, a member of the Dhaka South unit of the BNP (BAngladesh Nationalist Party), was seriously injured in a machete attack.

A visit to Swamibagh, Karatitola and Munshirtek around 8:00 am on Monday found most shops closed, with only a few open.

Older residents were sitting in shops discussing the previous night’s events. Most were reluctant to speak when approached.

A few agreed to talk. They said that on Sunday afternoon, three young men—Md Rakib, 22, Md Billal, 25, and Md Rifat, 21—were detained by local residents in the Karatitola area near the Gendaria railway line while “selling drugs”. They were subsequently taken to the office of local BNP activist Md Monir Hossain, where the three young men were beaten. Police were later called and the three were handed over to them.

According to witnesses, police feared an attack while taking the three young men to the police station. People present accompanied the officers to ensure they reached the station safely.

Shortly afterwards, a group of 20 to 25 young men arrived and began firing. Monir Hossain’s office and five nearby shops were also vandalised. There were several power cuts during the attack, plunging the area into darkness and heightening the panic.

Md Rajon, who was present at the scene, told Prothom Alo, “When we went to hand the drug sellers over to the police, we heard that the office was being vandalised and that gunfire had broken out in the area. We immediately returned to the scene and chased the attackers. They stood in an alley in the Swamibagh area and fired at us.”

Meanwhile, an internal police report said that Md Monir Hossain, a member of BNP’s Ward No. 40, and his nephew Russel had beaten associates of drug dealer and armed criminal ‘Auto Sojol’ in a dispute over control of the drug trade.

Police said Monir Hossain had also fired indiscriminately with an illegal pistol in his possession.

Gendaria police station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman Khan said no case had yet been filed over the incident. Twenty spent cartridges were recovered from the scene, while CCTV footage had also been collected.

He said various units of the law enforcement agencies were working to apprehend those responsible.

A team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrived at the scene at around 9:30 am. Investigators collected various pieces of evidence from the area.

CID Inspector Saifur Rahman, who visited the scene, told Prothom Alo, “We came to inspect the scene and collected some evidence. The major pieces of evidence had already been collected and taken away by the police.”

Residents of Swamibagh, Karatitola and Munshirtek said drug activity had become widespread in the area. They said clashes over drugs occurred frequently and that drug users were involved in various crimes, including snatching.

Local businessman SM Shafique told Prothom Alo, “Drugs are sold openly from morning until evening. The younger generation is being ruined. If the government does not pay proper attention to this, things will become even more dangerous in the days ahead.”