Midnight attack leaves housing project in ruins

Signs of a violent midnight raid were still visible at the New Gini Properties housing project in South Manikdi’s ECB Chattar on Sunday, with broken glass, bullet casings, damaged furniture and construction materials scattered across the site.

More than 100 people allegedly stormed the project around midnight on Saturday, vandalising and looting several establishments, beating workers and residents, and damaging content creator Salman Muqtadir's studio.

Police suspect the attack may have stemmed from a dispute between rival parties over possession and repossession of land, although the exact motive remains under investigation. Four people have so far been arrested.

During a visit to the site, this correspondent found sharp-weapon marks on several structures and broken glass and bullet casings scattered across floors. CCTV cables at the studio had been cut, while furniture and content-production equipment lay damaged.

Locals said the attackers broke through the project gate and first targeted a 10-storey building under construction. A doctor couple living in one of its flats were allegedly beaten and robbed.

Nayan, a project worker, said around 50 workers were at the site when a group of 15 to 20 people armed with pistols, machetes, sticks and cleavers entered. Several workers were beaten and forced out of their rooms, while money and at least 16 mobile phones were taken, he alleged.

Security guard Abdul Razzaq said five guards were on duty at the project that night and several were beaten. He alleged that the attackers fired five to six shots and took money and mobile phones from residents.

Project officials said the attackers arrived in four to five pickup trucks and took away valuables they could carry, vandalising other items.

The studio of Salman Muqtadir was also ransacked. Studio workers said two employees took shelter in a washroom after the attackers entered, but their mobile phones were later taken. A camera, three lenses, four lights, four softboxes, CCTV equipment and other valuables were reportedly looted.

Project owner Md Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan alleged that he had been demanded Tk1.5 crore and Tk2 crore at different times over the past month. He claimed local political leaders and activists were involved and alleged that a former senior government official was behind an attempt to grab the land.

According to Bhuiyan, he bought and registered 10 kathas of land from the official, but a dispute remains over additional adjacent land. He alleged that the latest attack followed his refusal to give in to extortion demands and attempts to occupy the disputed property.

Police, however, have not confirmed the extortion allegation.