Attacks on Salman Muqtadir’s studio and Radda Health Centre: People behind attacks remain at large

Police have arrested six people, including two armed men, over the attack, vandalism and looting at New Gini Properties in the capital’s ECB Chattar. Similarly, 12 people have so far been arrested over the demolition of a health centre in Mirpur.

However, in both cases, police have yet to bring to justice those allegedly behind the attacks—their planners or principal instigators.

Police say the attack on New Gini Properties stemmed from a land dispute. The name of retired army officer Golam Mohiuddin Chowdhury has emerged as the alleged mastermind. Police say an investigation into his involvement is under way and that he will be arrested if evidence establishes his connection to the incident.

Sources involved in the investigation said Major General (retd) Golam Mohiuddin, who is named as accused No. 4 in the case, owns a 35-decimal plot adjacent to New Gini Properties. The surrounding land belongs to New Gini Properties, meaning that access to and from his property requires the use of the company’s road. The entrance gate is also under the control of New Gini Properties.

The preliminary investigation suggests that the attack may have stemmed from a dispute over access to the property. Investigators are also probing whether there were any other disputes concerning the land.

Late on Saturday night, the New Gini project office and surrounding structures were attacked, vandalised and looted. During the attack, content creator Salman Muqtadir’s studio was subjected to extensive vandalism and looting. Several nearby houses and other structures were also damaged.

Liaquat Ali, chief security officer of the New Gini project, told Prothom Alo on Monday that Salman Muqtadir’s studio suffered the most extensive damage in the attack.

Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, a director of New Gini Properties, filed a case over the incident. The case is being investigated by police at Cantonment police station. By Monday, police and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) had arrested six people.

DB chief and DMP’s Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that the DB had arrested three people in connection with the attack. One of them, Shah Alam Anik, is a joint convener of the Muktijoddha Projonmo League.

The other detainees are Mamun, Aslam, Munna, Mizanur Rahman and Shahriar Mahmud. Mamun is from Gafargaon, while he and Munna live in a slum in Bhashantek. Aslam, a resident of Tangail, works as an auto-rickshaw driver. Mizanur, the latest person to be arrested, is named as accused No. 9 in the case.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Muhammad Gias Uddin, officer-in-charge of Cantonment police station, said that Mamun and Munna took part in the attack while carrying weapons. Police operations are continuing to arrest others involved with the attack.

After the health centre in the Shah Ali police station area of Mirpur was demolished, the attackers put up a signboard and banners bearing the name ‘Samomona Dokandar Samabaya Samiti Limited’.

Information has emerged indicating that several local BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) leaders have links to the activities of the association. They are known locally as close associates of Ferdousi Ahmed (Misty), a ruling party lawmaker from a reserved seat for women. Ferdousi Ahmed, however, has denied any involvement in the incident.

As of Monday evening, law-enforcement agencies had yet to bring anyone allegedly behind the attack on the health centre to justice.

Investigators said they were trying to establish who brought the excavator to the scene and who led the operation. Police are conducting raids to arrest those involved and recover the excavator.

According to local residents and businesspeople, shortly before the attack late on Thursday night, many of those allegedly involved gathered outside the office of Abul Kalam Azad, also known as Lenin, a former convener of the Shah Ali thana unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and Hanif Mia, a BNP leader named in the case. They later proceeded from there to attack the health centre.

CCTV footage from a nearby camera shows people gathering outside Lenin’s office, adjacent to the B-Block field, at around 12.05 am on Friday. Footage from several markets near the health centre also shows a white microbus driving around the area while the incident was taking place.

According to local residents and sources familiar with the matter, Hanif Mia, Abul Kalam and several others—including former member secretary of the Dhaka City Jubo Dal, Mostafa Jaglul Pasha, also known as Papel—were driving around the vicinity of the scene in a white microbus and allegedly issuing instructions during the attack and vandalism. Hanif Mia has been named in the case filed over the incident.

Sources involved in the investigation said police have so far arrested 12 people in connection with the vandalism at the health centre. The latest arrests were made on Sunday night, when Mohammad Mintu, 35, and Mohammad Milon, 40, were detained. They allegedly took part in the vandalism and subsequently looted property. The looted items were recovered from their possession.

Earlier, on Friday night, Shah Ali police arrested four young men—Mohammad Sohel, 22, Mohammad Jewel, 23, Jihad Hasan, 21, and Mohammad Rabbi, 20.

Police sources said Jewel lived in Korlapara in Shah Ali Bagh, while the other three were vagrant young men from the Shah Ali Mazar area. Investigators said they had taken part in the vandalism in exchange for money.

Six more people were arrested on Saturday evening: Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, 33; Kazi Mokbul Hossain, 58; Mohammad Shah Alam, 53; Mohammad Atikur Rahman, 33; Mohammad Kamrul Islam, 52; and Mohammad Shakil, 20. Five of them were arrested by the DB in Shahbagh, while the sixth was arrested by police in the Shah Ali area. They were sent to jail by a court on Sunday. Of the 12 people arrested, Shah Alam is the general secretary of the Samomona Dokandar Samiti.

Human rights activist Nur Khan described the recent incidents of attacks, vandalism and illegal occupation as signs of a deterioration in the law-and-order situation.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Monday, he said there were reports that people linked to the ruling party or influential quarters were involved in the vandalism at the Radda Clinic in Mirpur and the attack on Salman Muqtadir’s studio, and that police had therefore remained silent.

He further said that recent attacks in Mirpur, Mohammadpur and Adabar in the capital had created the impression that the country was being held hostage by “mob criminals”.

According to him, the government had failed to send a message strong enough to deter those involved in such violence.