A late-night altercation over smoking outside a Dhaka bus owner's home on Wednesday night spiralled into a violent attack on the Shohagh Paribahan counter in Malibagh and the residence of co-owner Ali Hassan Talukder Palash.
- Police say what began as a quarrel with a security guard escalated into a full-scale assault involving dozens of men armed with sticks and sharp weapons.
- The counter was vandalised, staff were beaten, and Palash himself was targeted when arriving home.
What happened
- According to investigators, several men were smoking outside Palash's residence on Wednesday night when a guard asked them to move.
- A heated exchange followed, and when Palash arrived, the clash intensified.
- "Some shoving took place," said Mazharul Islam, assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Zone.
Minutes later, the men allegedly returned with more than 50 others.
- They attacked Palash, his driver, and the guard, while vandalising the bus counter.
- Staff who tried to intervene were also assaulted, police told bdnews24.com.
- According to CCTV footage of the incident, at first a few men arrived at the bus counter.
- At least three of them were wielding machetes.
- When they began to attack counter employees, some men behind the attackers were applauding and cheering them on.
The scale of the attack
- Palash's brother, Majedul Haque Nadim, said 60–70 attackers launched the raid around 11:30pm, armed with sticks and sharp weapons.
- He claimed assailants also tried to break through the house gate, leaving his brother, the driver, and several staff injured.
- At least one person has been admitted to hospital over the clash.
Md Faruk Talukder Shohel, Shohagh Paribahan's managing director:
- "Our staff told them to step aside and smoke elsewhere. They started arguing and then attacked."
- "My younger brother [Palash] was arriving home by car when he was also targeted. They vandalised the house and beat our staff. We informed police right away and are preparing to file a case."
What police say
- CCTV footage has been collected, with investigators working to identify attackers.
- Allegations surfaced about a local politician's involvement, but Mazharul Islam said he was unaware of such links.
- "No case has been filed yet. If names are included in the case, only then will it be clear," he added.
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