Clash between Safari Park staff, visitors leave 6 injured

At least six people have been injured during a clash between Gazipur Safari Park staff and spectators.

The incident took place at the park around noon on Saturday (August 29). Following the incident, an outsourcing employee, Md Farhad, was suspended.

The injured visitors were Salma Hossain, 44, from the capital’s Baridhara Notun Bazar area; her two sons, Ahnaf Mahin, 17, and Zarif, 15; and their driver, Md Russell, 25. Two park outsourcing employees, Md Mumin and Masud Rana, were also injured.

Salma Hossain alleged that they asked the park staff to clean the visitor bus used for the core safari as there was dirt and garbage inside it. The employees then allegedly began using abusive language and beat Zarif, Ahnaf and driver Russell indiscriminately with rods. She also alleged that a three-vori gold chain and Tk 80,000 in cash were lost and a mobile phone was damaged during the incident.

Acting park officer Md Tarek Rahman said, "an argument broke out between a visitor and an employee over garbage inside the visitor bus. At one point, one of the visitor’s sons allegedly assaulted the employee. Later, when the visitors were asked to sit at the park office after completing their tour, they allegedly became agitated again and attacked the staff." Two employees were injured and received treatment, he said. Three others were also injured but did not require medical attention. A complaint with the police was being prepared, he added.

MKM Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said, “One of our staff members, Md Mumin, was assaulted and injured. He received treatment at Sreepur Upazila Health Complex. After our staff member was injured, the tourists who were on the bus were brought to the park office for discussion. At that point, a scuffle broke out between the two sides. An outsourcing staff member of the Forest Department, Md Farhad, has been dismissed over the incident.”

Sreepur Police Station (OC) Shahinur Alam said, "legal action would be taken after investigating the incident."

-MT