Staff Reporter:
Miscreants vandalised the residence of Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury in Chattogram city on Saturday at a time when students were demonstrating against the killings by law enforcers during the recent quota reform movement.
Miscreants also torched the office of local lawmaker Md Mohiuddin Bachhu, and attacked the house of port city mayor. It was not immediately clear who were behind these attacks.
Local protest coordinator Talat Mahmud denied students, demanding justice for the recent killings of fellow classmates, were involved in the vandalism.
Sources said, several thousand protesters started gathering at the New Market intersection in the city at 2.30pm on Saturday as part of the central programme.
A group of protesters proceeded towards the Chashma Hill area while they were returning through Sholashahar Gate No 2 area around 6:30pm.
They entered the house of the Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury breaking the entrance. The attackers pelted brickbats at the residence, damaged two parked vehicles and set one of them on fire.
Hasina Mohiuddin, mother of the education minister and wife of former port city mayor ABM Mohiddin Chowdhury, said the students cannot carry out the attack.
Those who are using them are behind the attack, said Hasina Mohiuddin, also the president of Chattogram City Mohila Awami League.
Deputy Commissioner (DC-North) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Mokhlesur Rahman said they rushed there hearing the news of attack and brought the situation under control.
On the other hand, another group of the protesters attacked the residence of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury around 7.45pm.
They entered the residence after breaking the outer entrance. However, the on-duty cops dispersed them there. The mayor was staying in the residence at the time.
Earlier, they vandalised at least three police boxes and damaged some CCTV cameras in the New Market area during demonstrations.
The protesters started proceeding towards Tigerpass from the gathering around 5:30pm.
Mentionable, female students and schoolchildren were present in large numbers during the demonstrations.
People from all walks of life also took part in the processions from different parts of the city, making the gathering the biggest in Chattogram city, so far during the current spate of unrest.
Traffic movement and business activities in the area, having several thousand shops, came to a complete halt during the demonstration.
Members of police were seen far away from the site of demonstrations, and they had no visible activity.
