Geneva Camp residents agitate for electricity, clash with cops

The residents of Mohammadpur Geneva Camp locked into a clash with police on Saturday as the residents continued their demonstration demanding uninterrupted power supply in the camp for the second consecutive day.

Police claimed that 15 personnel were injured at the clash while the camp residents claimed that at least 50 of their fellows were injured.

Stranded Pakistanis live in Geneva camp.

The residents started their demonstration since Friday saying they have to suffer from load shedding for 8-10 hours a day. The protesters continue their demo at around 12:00pm Saturday.

The protestors blocked roads up to Mustakim Kabab restaurant from the camp.
The clash turned violent at 1:30pm and police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protestors.

The protestors vandalised a police van and tried to torch it.

“We have been suffering from frequent power outages for last two months. We don’t get electricity for 8-10 hours a day. I was forced to send my ailing daughter elsewhere for load shedding. Local ward councilor didn’t take any initiative to solve the problem,” Jahangir Hossain, a resident of the camp, told Prothom Alo.

Several residents of the camp said around 40 thousand stranded Pakistanis live in the camp and United Nations pays their electricity bills.

They alleged that local ward councilor’s men attacked them first and police joined later.

Around 3:30pm, the protestors were seen in front of Mohammadpur Government High School’s main gate while riot police and a team of RAB-2 standing nearby.

Deputy commissioner of Tejgaon zone police Anisur Rahman told journalists that 15 law enforcers were injured at the attack and protestors tried to torch their vehicle.

Law enforcers are trying to bring the situation under control, he added.