Police have arrested 25 individuals following widespread violence, arson, and vandalism that erupted during an anti-encroachment drive near Dhaka’s Mirpur-10 roundabout. Law enforcement agencies and civic authorities have registered four separate cases against roughly 2,000 suspects as investigations into the violent resistance intensify.
The confrontation unfolded when a team from the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), accompanied by law enforcement personnel, attempted to clear unauthorized makeshift stalls and illegal structures from the busy footpaths stretching towards Hope Market. Tensions mounted rapidly after an excavator removing a roadside shop near the Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque Market snagged and severed an overhead electrical cable. The resulting spark triggered a localized blaze that damaged several nearby shops, instantly infuriating gathered street vendors.
What began as a municipal clearance operation quickly descended into chaotic violence. Protesting hawkers pelted city corporation staff and police with bricks and stones, prompting officers to respond with tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Local activists from political organizations later joined the fray, further escalating the clashes. During the melee, rioters set three DNCC waste management vehicles ablaze, vandalised a police pickup van, smashed traffic control boxes, and damaged public property. Multiple police officers and media professionals covering the disturbance sustained injuries.
Following the violent outbreak, police detained 30 individuals from the scene. After preliminary screening, five were released without charge, whilst 25 suspects—including one formally named in the First Information Report (FIR)—were placed under arrest.
Two of the four formal cases were lodged by the police at Mirpur Model Police Station, citing charges of physical assault on officers, obstructing public servants from performing their official duties, destroying state assets, and damaging municipal infrastructure. The remaining two complaints were filed by DNCC representatives at Mirpur Model Police Station and Kafrul Police Station specifically regarding arson and the destruction of city vehicles.
Officer-in-Charge Hafizur Rahman of Mirpur Model Police Station confirmed that all 25 arrests were made under his station’s jurisdiction, adding that targeted operations remain ongoing to identify and apprehend the remaining perpetrators. Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam of Kafrul Police Station stated that their arson investigation is actively pursuing suspects identified through eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage. Civic authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to reclaiming public footpaths despite the violent resistance.
