An enforcement delegation consisting of an executive magistrate, police personnel, and municipal corporation officials came under violent assault from local residents during a land recovery operation in the capital. The incident occurred in the Bauniabandh area of Section 11, under the jurisdiction of the Pallabi Police Station in Mirpur, Dhaka. At least seven police officers sustained injuries when an angry crowd launched brickbats and pursued the law enforcement detachment. The intensity of the attack forced the security personnel to temporarily retreat from the site to ensure their safety.
The eviction drive commenced on Wednesday morning at approximately 10:00 am. The operation targeted unauthorized structures erected on acquired state land situated to the west of the 533-Flat Project, an initiative managed by the National Housing Authority under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. The targeted zone also encompassed illegal encroachments built over a three-way intersection within a designated rehabilitation sector. According to administrative records, a powerful syndicate had occupied approximately 50 Bighas of government land for a prolonged duration. This illegally seized territory had been converted into an array of slum settlements, commercial vehicle garages, scrap metal shops, illicit drug distribution spots, and unauthorized political clubhouses.
Local Resistance Triggers Law Enforcement Retreat
Shortly after the structural demolition crew began dismantling the illegal frameworks, local occupants organized a coordinated resistance. Eyewitness accounts indicate that a large group of slum residents formed an aggressive assembly, directly targeting the administration and police personnel with a heavy barrage of thrown bricks and stones. As the confrontation escalated rapidly, the outmaneuvered law enforcement units were filmed running from the advancing crowd to seek cover.
The displaced local residents argued that the settlement accommodated an estimated population of 10,000 to 15,000 people. The community members claimed that the administrative authorities initiated the demolition of their residential quarters without serving any prior formal notices or evacuation warnings. This unexpected structural demolition allegedly triggered widespread panic and collective outrage among the local populace, culminating in the subsequent physical clash.
Formal Police Documentation and Resumption of Operations
Providing a detailed briefing on the incident, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Mirpur Division, Mohammad Mostak Sarkar, confirmed that the local populace initiated the assault when officers attempted to recover the illegally occupied state asset. He stated that the crowd launched a sudden, unprovoked barrage of brickbats at approximately 12:00 pm, which resulted in several casualties within the police deployment. The injured personnel, officially identified as five male and two female police officers, were immediately evacuated from the location and transported to the Rajarbagh Police Hospital for specialized clinical treatment.
“A sudden and coordinated assault was launched against our personnel during the statutory execution of a land recovery operation. Despite this violent disruption, the enforcement team resumed the eviction drive following a temporary midday recess. The state will not tolerate violent resistance to legal mandates, and the process of initiating formal legal proceedings against the perpetrators who obstructed public servants and assaulted police officers is currently underway.”
Digital Footage Prompts Extensive Public Discourse
The violent encounter received widespread public attention after mobile phone footage of the clash was uploaded and distributed across various social media platforms. The viral video clips document multiple local individuals brandishing improvised domestic weapons and actively chasing down the uniform-clad law enforcement officers.
The media recordings captured several police officers discarding their heavy protective helmets to maximize their running speed while fleeing the incoming missiles. Furthermore, female police officers were documented running alongside their male counterparts to escape the advancing rioters and secure safe positions. The circulation of these graphic videos has generated intense public debate and widespread commentary regarding the operational security of administrative drives and the enforcement of urban land rights.