The streets of Dhaka’s Mirpur district became a theatre of political volatility on Tuesday evening as supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami engaged in a violent skirmish. The confrontation, which centred around the Al-Mubarak Mosque in the Peerbagh neighbourhood, reportedly left ten people injured and necessitated an emergency deployment of the Bangladesh Army and local police to prevent a further descent into lawlessness.
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A Spark in Shewrapara
The roots of the violence can be traced back to a verbal altercation earlier that afternoon in nearby Shewrapara. It is alleged that the wife of a BNP candidate, referred to locally as Milton, became embroiled in a heated dispute with female activists from Jamaat-e-Islami. While the initial argument appeared to have been resolved, the friction reignited with far greater intensity as evening fell.
Witnesses described the scene near the mosque as a “chase and counter-chase,” with activists from both sides trading blows and occupying the streets. The violence only subsided when joint security forces arrived to establish a perimeter.
Incident Report: Peerbagh Confrontation
| Key Metric | Details |
| Location | In front of Peerbagh Al-Mubarak Mosque, Mirpur |
| Parties Involved | BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami |
| Injuries Reported | 10 Activists |
| Medical Treatment | Ibn Sina Hospital, Kalyanpur |
| Security Presence | Bangladesh Army & Mirpur Division Police |
| Current Atmosphere | Tense but stable; heavy patrols ongoing |
Allegations of Hostilities
Abdur Rahman Musa, the Nayeb-e-Amir of Dhaka Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami, levelled serious accusations against the BNP loyalists. He claimed that after the initial dispute in Shewrapara, several of his party’s members were “held hostage” and subjected to physical assault in the evening.
“Our activists were trapped and beaten, which prompted others to rush to the scene in an attempt to rescue them,” Musa stated. He further confirmed that two Jamaat members sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalisation at the Ibn Sina facility in Kalyanpur. He emphasised that his party was forced to request the direct intervention of the military to restore safety.
The Security Response
Moinul Haque, Deputy Commissioner of the Mirpur Division Police, confirmed that the authorities acted swiftly once the alarm was raised. “Police and army personnel moved in unison to quell the disturbance,” he noted. “While the situation was chaotic upon our arrival, we have successfully restored order and the area remains under constant surveillance.”
The incident highlights the fragile nature of political alliances in the lead-up to the national referendum. Although both parties have historically cooperated on various platforms, local-level rivalries continue to pose a significant risk to public order.