Ricksaw and auto-rickshaw drivers in Dhaka’s Uttara vandalised a commercial building named Uttara Square on Sunday night after a rumour spread that a ricksaw driver had been beaten to death.
The protesters also blocked the road in front of the building.
The incident occurred around 12:30am in front of the Uttara Square Group’s commercial premises. Police were deployed to control the situation.
According to local eyewitnesses and police officers, a verbal altercation between a ricksaw driver and the building’s security guard escalated into a scuffle.
The news quickly spread among other ricksaw drivers, who became agitated and began blocking the road and vandalising the building.
Locals said the crowd grew further after a rumour circulated that the allegedly killed ricksaw driver was being hidden inside the building.
Uttara West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Rafiqul told TIMES the murder claim was entirely false.
“The incident began as a scuffle. When rumours spread that the ricksaw driver had been killed, nearly 500 drivers vandalised the building. Police deployed about 200 personnel to bring the situation under control,” he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Nazrul Islam has said that the alleged killing of a rickshaw puller at Square Shopping Mall in Sector 13 of Uttara is a rumour.
He also claimed that some miscreants attempted to create a mob and carry out looting centring on the incident.
He made the remarks to journalists on Monday after visiting the market.
Nazrul Islam said “Police have found no evidence so far to support the claim that a rickshaw puller was beaten to death and his body disappeared.”
He added that an unruly group took advantage of the rumour to create a mob and attempted to attack and loot the shopping mall.
He also said that no case has been filed yet in connection with the incident. However, six police personnel were injured while trying to bring the situation under control.
Police are collecting evidence from the scene to identify those involved and bring them under the law.
Meanwhile, the attack has created panic among traders. Shop owners said the vandalism and assault caused them losses worth several crore taka.
