Clash at Baitul Mukarram: 148 injured get treatment at DMCH
At least 148 people, including five journalists, were injured during a clash between police and demonstrators who tried to bring out a procession after Jumma prayers at Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area yesterday.
A total of 148 people, who were injured in the clash, took treatment from Dhaka Medical College Hospital till 8:45pm, according to the DMCH register, our DMCH correspondent reports quoting a hospital source.
Of them, four people -- Mahtab Hossain (32), Babu (40), Samir (21) and Rahmatullah (48) -- were admitted to the DMCH.
The five injured journalists, including The Daily Star's photojournalists Amran Hossain and Prabir Das, also took treatment from the hospital, said inspector Bachchu Miah, in-charge of the DMCH police camp.
Meanwhile, four other people, who were injured in the clash, came under attack allegedly by a group of Awami League men when they came to the emergency unit of the hospital for treatment around 6:00pm.
"Four people came here from Baitul Mukarram to take treatment. At that time, more than a hundred leaders and activists of various Awami League organisations were present in front of the emergency unit. They [AL men] suddenly attacked the four men. We tried a lot but could not stop them. Later, however, no untoward incident took place," inspector Bachchu Miah told The Daily Star.
The police official said the four victims later left the DMCH without any treatment.
Immediately after Jummah, many demonstrators started chanting slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Dhaka near the south gate of the mosque, prompting police to fire rubber bullets and charge batons on them.
The Daily Star's photojournalists on duty -- Amran Hossain and Prabir Das -- were seriously injured in the clash. Prabir's arm has been fractured while Amran has sustained a head injury.
A journalist of Ekattor TV, a private television channel, was also among the injured. UNB correspondent M Jahangir Alam was hit by a rubber bullet.
Two motorcycles were also burnt in front of the south gate of the national mosque, our staff correspondent reports.
Paltan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abu Bakkar Siddique told The Daily Star, "None was arrested in this connection. Several police members were also injured during the clash but the number could not be known."
No case was filed in this regard, the OC added.