Violence broke out at the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters on Tuesday as two rival factions of the pro-BNP Sramik Karmachari Union clashed inside Nagar Bhaban, leaving several injured and one journalist reportedly threatened at knifepoint.
The scuffle began around noon when followers of union leader Arifuzzaman Prince, considered to be opposed to BNP leader Ishraque Hossain, arrived at Nagar Bhaban with his supporters. They were soon confronted by the faction loyal to Arif Chowdhury, leading to a series of chase-and-counter-chase incidents between the two sides.
Amidst the chaos, Ishraque’s supporters allegedly beat up Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam, a computer operator at the DSCC administration branch, suspecting him to be aligned with the opposing camp. Police intervened but initially faced resistance in rescuing the victim.
Another man was also assaulted on similar suspicions, and both were eventually taken into police custody for their safety.
Journalists covering the violence were also targeted. Supporters of Ishraque allegedly snatched the phone of Nagarik Television reporter Mohammad Asaduzzaman Shishir, deleted all footage, and threatened him with a knife. NTV reporter Nazibur Rahman also reported harassment while performing his duties.
Tensions have been simmering in recent weeks over the handover of mayoral duties to Ishraque. According to employees, those not aligned with Ishraque are being treated as outsiders and denied entry into Nagar Bhaban.