Law enforcers: the silent spectators

We are shocked and appalled by the daylong fight between the students of Dhaka College and traders of New Market area on April 19, which left an 18-year-old courier service employee—who had no connection with this incident whatsoever—dead, and more than 50 people, including journalists and students, injured. One of our journalists was injured too. The clashes also brought the city's traffic to a standstill for hours, causing unbearable sufferings to the commuters in this month of Ramadan. Five shops of Nurjahan Supermarket were also gutted during the clash.

According to our report, a brawl started the previous night (on April 18) centring an argument at a fast food shop between the shopkeepers and the students. At one stage, a rumour spread across the college campus that the students had been stabbed by the shopkeepers. Infuriated, more students of the college went to the spot in groups and attacked the staffers of the shops, who retaliated. Police then dispersed them by firing tear gas shells.

While on regular times, the clash would have just stopped there (such clashes are pretty common between the two sides), this time it didn't. As students barred traders from opening their shops the next morning, the traders also banded together and engaged in chase and counter-chase with the students. What did the police do during this time? They remained silent spectators. According to witnesses, both sides threw brick chips and hurled crude bombs at each other in full view of the police, but they didn't take any action. When they finally moved and took position to disperse the crowd, it was almost 3pm in the afternoon. Had the police taken action on time, the death of the young man as well as a lot of damage could have been avoided.

While the police must answer for their inaction, the students and shopkeepers must also be held to account for this horrendous episode of violence that had an impact on the entire city on Tuesday. It was disturbing to see the picture of the agitated people setting fire to an ambulance carrying a patient.

From the nature of the incident, it seems that there were some underlying factors that had triggered it. Reportedly, there is a long-time rivalry between the two sides. While the students claim that the shopkeepers often misbehave with them and charge them exorbitantly, the traders in the area say that a section of the students involved in politics have long been extorting them.

We think it's time the authorities found out the real reason for such rivalry and did the needful, so that such incidents do not repeat in the future. Needless to say, whatever grievances they might have against each other, such blatant display of violence is not acceptable at all.