Police suspect land dispute behind ECB Chattar housing project vandalism; 3 held

Police suspect a land dispute may have been behind the late-night attack, vandalism, and looting at New Gini Properties near ECB Chattar in Dhaka, according to DMP Joint Commissioner Md Mahidul Islam.

Three people have been detained so far over the incident, he said around 12pm today (27 September) after visiting the scene.

"We have learned that a group of people came here last night and vandalised the area. Immediately after the incident, the Cantonment Police Station officer-in-charge, the investigation inspector, operations inspector, and other police personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control," he said.

"They detained two people from the scene, while another person was detained during an operation later at night. So far, we have detained three people. Legal action is under process. More of our teams are working, and we hope to bring everyone involved in the incident under the law," Mahidul added.

Asked about the identities of the attackers, he said the matter was still under investigation. "They came here in a group. Of the three people we detained, one is Mamun, who is from Gafargaon and lives in the Bhashantek slum. Another is Aslam, who is from Tangail and works as an auto-rickshaw driver.

"The third is Munna, who also lives in the Bhashantek slum," he said.

Asked about the motive behind the attack, Mahidul said, "After questioning the detainees and obtaining more information, we will be able to give you a clearer picture."

Regarding information obtained from the detainees, he said preliminary findings suggested that the incident might have stemmed from a dispute over occupation of the land, on which the housing project is located.

"As the matter is under investigation and legal proceedings are underway, we will be able to know more once the investigation is completed," said the police official.

Asked who the dispute was between, he said, "We cannot say that clearly at this moment."

On whether an extortion demand had been made to content creator Salman Mohammad Muqtadir, Mahidul said police had no such information at this stage.

"We do not have any information at this moment about extortion or anything of that sort. Our preliminary assessment is that this may have been a dispute between rival groups over land. We will know for certain after a proper investigation," he said.

Responding to a question about recent incidents involving alleged attempts to grab properties in Mirpur-1, Mohammadpur, and ECB Chattar, the police official said, "Whenever such incidents occur, we take immediate action to detect those involved."

Earlier, around 10:30pm yesterday (26 September), several hundred people allegedly attacked New Gini Properties near ECB Chattar.

During the attack, a studio founded by popular YouTuber Salman was completely vandalised. Construction workers at the site were also assaulted, and their mobile phones and money were allegedly taken away.

Earlier, DMP Assistant Commissioner (Cantonment Zone) Nazmul Alam told UNB that the vandalism stemmed from a land dispute between New Gini Properties Ltd and the owner of an adjacent plot.

"There was no incident of extortion. Salman Muqtadir's studio was not the target," Nazmul said.

According to him, people involved in the dispute tried to enter the property through a gate after being unable to access their land and vandalised Salman's studio in the process.

"They did not know that it was Salman Muqtadir's studio. They came with people and vandalised that as well," he said.