3 hurt in clash over road construction on private property

At least three people have sustained injuries in a clash between two groups over construction of a road on a private property in Nanduin area of Gazipur city.

The injured were identified as: Abdullah Mamun, 30; Md Qayyum, 50; and Abdul Rashid, 40. All of them are security personnel of MGH Group.

The incident took place on Tuesday morning.

Allegedly, McDonald's Bangladesh Private Limited's factory in the neighbourhood started constructing a brick road through a 34-bigha plot owned by MGH Group citing it as part of a Gazipur City Corporation's project.

On information, representatives of MGH Group went there on Tuesday morning and initiated construction of a deep tube-well on the property located in GCC's ward-22. This led to a scuffle, followed by a clash between representatives of McDonald's Company Ltd and MGH Group, in which the three sustained injuries, said Md Qayyum, head of security of MGH Group.

Legal action will be taken in this connection, he added.

Major (retd.) Mohammad Abu Sufian, deputy general manager, regulatory affairs, of MGH Group, said the Suhana Lutfa Ahmed, wife of Anis Ahmed, managing director of the group, had purchased the property some 14 years ago.

"McDonald's Ltd's men attempted to construct the road despite a writ petition pending with the High Court. Also, the company's men earlier felled trees, vandalised a court order notice on the property and threatened the security personnel there on October 24," he alleged.

A general diary was filed with Gazipur Sadar Police Station in this connection, he added.

Arifur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station, said a case was filed yesterday over the clash.

"We have learned that a road was being constructed through a private property, claiming it to a project of the city authorities. However, the GCC authorities conveyed that they are not involved in any road project there at present," the OC added.

Local residents said McDonald's Ltd's men have been working at night for constructing the road on the private land.

Contacted, Mohammad Farhad Hossain, deputy general manager of McDonald's Bangladesh Pvt Ltd, claimed they were constructing a government-sanctioned road under GCC and denied involvement of their personnel in any altercation.

Hossain added that road construction had resumed recently after being temporarily halted.

Mosharraf Hossain, former ward-22 councillor of GCC, claimed MGH Group's property includes a portion of government's land as per land records, adding that the dispute must be resolved through negotiation between both parties.

Akbar Hossain, additional chief engineer of GCC, confirmed that they had initially tendered a road project in the area, which was later halted following a writ petition filed with court.

He, however, claimed that he was unaware of who engaged in road construction in the area recently.

Sarwar Kamal Sabuj, managing director of McDonald's Steel and McDonald's Prestige Company, could not be reached over phone.