Police beat up UP chairman, foiling his bid to remove hawkers from highway in Narayanganj

The law enforcers are accused of siding with the hawkers in exchange for extortion money

A video of policemen and hawkers beating up a union council chairman during his attempt to free a highway from encroachment in Narayanganj’s Rupganj Upazila has gone viral on social media.

Police withdrew a sub-inspector from duty after the law enforcers were accused of siding with the hawkers in exchange for extortion money.

Ariful Haque Bhuiyan, chairman of Bhulta Union Council, said on Saturday that he informed the superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner of the district.

He would file a written complaint over the incident that occurred in the Bhulta bend area on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway on Friday.

Ariful said the hawkers came back to the highway after a drive to remove them several weeks ago.
 
“When I saw the hawkers on the highway again while walking on Friday, I asked a sugar cane juice seller to leave. The hawkers became agitated at this,” he said. 

SI Barek, identified with a single name, and other policemen from Bhulta camp were present there.

“They sided with the hawkers, and beat me up while using abusive language,” Ariful said.

He alleged police defended the hawkers because they get a share of Tk 1.5 million extortion money from the hawkers.

“I’ve been elected chairman three times. Police and others know me. But it seems from the assault on me that Bangladesh has become a police state.”

Mostafizur Rahman, chief of the local police camp, denied the allegation of allowing the hawkers to occupy the highway in exchange for money.

“Chairman and his men had a brawl with the hawkers after they assaulted the sugar cane juice seller. Police baton-charged the people to disperse them,” Mostafizur said.   

The video showed hawkers and police carrying sticks surrounded Ariful and beat him up.

Chaulau Marma, additional superintendent of police, said SI Barek did not know the chairman because he joined Bhulta camp a week ago.

“He has been withdrawn to the police lines. Further steps will be taken after investigation.”