Stevedores clash with businessmen at Sadarghat

At least 21 people were injured yesterday as police fired around 15 rubber bullets during a clash between load-bearers of the capital's Sadarghat Launch Terminal and local businessmen who were hurling brickbats at each other.
Four of the wounded, including one with rubber bullet wounds, were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital while the rest to Mitford Hospital.
Businessmen of a local wholesale market, South Plaza, had been holding hostage a defaulter businessman, Nabi, since Saturday, said Inspector Feroze Mollah of Kotwali Police Station.
Nabi had taken goods worth Tk 2.67 lakh a year back but failed to pay for it, claimed the injured.
Police were holding an arbitration involving both parties at Kotwali Police Station since 11:00am when Nabi's allies started the clash around noon, claimed Mollah.
The injured claimed that Nabi had called up two people, Mithu and Papon, of a local pro-Awami League organisation, “Nouka Majhi League”, who instigated the load-bearers to attack.
A case was filed with Kotwali police and transferred to Detective Branch.