Hundreds of rickshaw pullers surrounded and vandalised a shopping mall in Dhaka’s Uttara late on Sunday night (15 March) following allegations that a rickshaw driver was beaten to death over a parking dispute in front of the market.
Police were unable to bring the situation under control as of filing this report at 2:30am Monday.
According to several local sources, the quarrel over parking between unidentified parties began in front of Uttara Square shopping mall on Sonargaon Janapath Road in Uttara Sector-13 around 11:30pm Sunday.
The situation escalated after claims spread that a rickshaw driver was assaulted and killed during the argument. The Business Standard could not confirm any such death until the filing of this report.
Witnesses said hundreds of rickshaw pullers gathered shortly afterwards, surrounding the shopping mall and subsequently vandalising several of its floors. They also chanted slogans demanding justice for the alleged killing. The crowd outside also hurled bricks and stones at the market.
The unrest reportedly has continued for more than two hours, creating panic among residents in nearby residential sectors, including Sector 13.
Despite being within stone-throwing distance of Uttara West Police Station, locals initially reported not seeing any police presence at the scene during the early stages of the incident.
Residents expressed safety concerns and warned that the situation could escalate further without immediate intervention by law enforcement.
Until the filing of this report at 2:30am Monday, police did not respond to TBS queries. A TBS correspondent also sought comment from Uttara Zone Assistant Commissioner Saddam Hossain via phone and WhatsApp messages, but he did not respond.
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