Swechchhasebak League leader among 5 sued over Gulshan shooting

Five people, including a vice-president of the Dhaka metropolitan north unit of Swechchhasebak League, have been sued over the incident of indiscriminate shooting in the capital's Gulshan 1 yesterday. The incident left at least two people injured.

Aminul Islam, who was injured on Sunday's (15 January) shooting, filed a case with Gulshan police station against Dhaka metropolitan north unit of Swechchhasebak League vice-president Wahiduzzaman Mintu (46), his associate Md Arif Hossain (24) and Arif's brother-in-law Monir Ahmed (35), Shariful (55) and Humayun (45), said Masudur Rahman Monir, additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Gulshan Zone.

"Of the five accused, Wahiduzzaman Mintu, Arif Hossain and Monir Ahmed were arrested on Sunday," he added.

Two persons, including a rickshaw-puller, were shot during an indiscriminate firing that took place at the capital's Gulshan-1 on Sunday (15 January) afternoon following a dispute between two people.

Police said Abdul Wahid alias Mintu, vice-president of Dhaka North unit of Swechchhasebak League, opened fire in an attempt to rescue his associate Arif who allegedly requested mobile finincial services vendor Halim to send Tk75,000 to three numbers and later denied to pay the amount, leading into a verbal altercation with the vendor.

Later, Wahid and a few other persons reached there and Wahid shot two rounds of bullets to rescue Arif, leaving rickshaw-puller Abdur Rahim and a pedestrian named Aminul Islam injured.

When the angry mob chased Wahid and his associates, they ran into a branch of Gloria Jean's Coffees premises nearby, said police.

Rahim was shot in his leg and sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Following the shooting, Wahid and two of his associates were arrested and taken to Gulshan Police Station for quizzing, said police adding that the arms seized from Wahid's possession have a valid license which will expire after 2024.

DCC Market guard and witness of the incident Shahin Alam said that Wahid opened fire at around 4:15pm in a bid to take away one of his acquaintances who tried to leave the place without paying Tk75,000 after sending the amount from an MFS provider adjacent to the Gulshan-1's Gloria Jeans Coffees outlet.

He said that he had heard sounds of firing four to five bullets.

Saiful Islam, senior vice chairman of Navana Group, which owns Gloria Jean's Coffees, told The Business Standard, "The clash started at DCC Market and they ended up running into our coffee shop. The wounded persons and the gang landed in our parking area and later we informed the police."