Panic at Segunbagicha in Dhaka as Awami League groups clash

Two groups of the ruling party affiliates have clashed in Dhaka’s Segunbagicha, spreading panic among the residents of the neighbourhood late on Wednesday night.

Locals said they heard sounds of gunfire during the clashes between the local groups belonging to the Awami League’s volunteer wing Swechchhasebak League and student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Police said the fighting continued for around half an hour from 10:30pm near the Segunbagicha kitchen market.

A witness, requesting anonymity, said violence erupted when the BCL activists stopped the Swechchhasebak League workers from putting up a signboard at a makeshift camp set up for the general election held on Sunday.

Several motorcycles were vandalised and shots were fired during the running battle, the witness said.

Panicked residents of the area remained indoors.

The BCL activists came to meet Jubayer Ahmed, general secretary of its Dhaka Metropolitan (South) unit, who lives in Segunbagicha.

The Swechchhasebak League workers came to demolish the camp, one of the BCL activists said.

Jubayer said he was not in the area during the incident. “I’ve heard on my return that some people attacked those who had been waiting for me. They also vandalised several motorcycles,” he said.

Shahbagh Police Station OC Abul Hasan told bdnews24.com that it was a “misunderstanding” between the two groups.

“No gunshot was fired. The situation is normal now,” he added.