Capital’s suburb Demra turned into a battle field on May 5 when thousands of people took to the Dhaka-Chittagong highway protesting water and power crisis, and drove away local ruling party lawmaker as he went there flexing muscles.

Over 100 people, including the lawmaker from the constituency and 10 policemen, were injured in the clashes.

The BNP lawmaker was wounded in the head as the angry agitators hurled brickbats at him and beat him with sticks.

Vehicular movement came to a standstill from Motijhell downtown to Shanir Akhra.

Hundreds of long-route buses got stranded on the way and resumed at 7:35pm.

The agitated people, carrying bamboo sticks and brickbats, chased and manhandled local MP Salahuddin Ahmed, vandalised over 50 motor vehicles, including luxury highway coaches and a police van, ransacked some markets, attacked a police outpost and raised barricade at every strategic points of the highway putting fire on tyres and trees.

After a day of skirmishes and vandalism, demonstrators announced in the evening to continue with the agitation until their demands are fulfilled.

But, at quarter to midnight, after a meeting with Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, they withdrew the agitation program on his assurance to solve the problems.

The police charged batons and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob who joined in hundreds demanding solution to the water and power crises.

Under such a situation, a huge contingent of army men led by Brigadier General Nizam, rushed to the spot and promised the mob to ensure water supply within short time.

However, the situation of the area again worsened at around 6:30 pm when BNP cadres led by Nabiullah Nabi went to the spot and attacked the protestors.

Under the banner of Demra Shyampur Water Power Action Committee, a non-political movement, the agitated people, including women and children, chased hoodlums and pelted indiscriminate brickbats, stones and whatever they found in their hands.

Two members of the army sustained injuries when police lobbed tear gas canisters without any provocation while the army men were discussing with the Committee leaders.

People from all walks of life, specially the dwellers of the Muradpur, Daniabazar, Shanir Akhra, Kutubkhali, Dhalpur, Rayerbazar, Nayapara, Matuail, Shontek, Gobindapur, Nurpur and Paterbagh of Demra and Shyampur areas joined the demonstration.

Blood for Water
According to protestors, the situation went out of control when local MP at about 10 am went there to stop the agitation and hurled abusive words and ordered police and his musclemen to fire targeting the locals.

The MP with his musclemen also put pressure on the agitating mob to withdraw the barricade.

“MP Salahuddin hurled abusive words and ordered police to open fire on the people triggering the clash,” said Shahidul Islam, one of the members of the Noor Mosque executive committee.

“As the police denied to do so, Salahuddin slapped the on-duty Assistant Commissioner (AC) of police, Iqbal Ahmed,” said Shahidul, who joined the protest.

The MP also tried to intimidate the crowd in different ways sending the mob to become more furious. The MP was physically manhandled by the mob, he added.

The MP and his bodyguard pulled out their firearms and fired some five blank shots to scare away the mob, people said.

They said Salahuddin asked Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the local police station Abdul Gaffar to open fire on the demonstrators.

"Salahuddin asked the police to open fire, saying the people will automatically leave the road if two or three die," said Abdus Samad, a youngman from Noor Nagar who joined the demo.

In face of the attack, the MP and his musclemen fled the scene.

At one stage, the mob locked in a clash with the law enforcers turning the entire area into a virtual battlefield.

Police charged batons and fired rubber bullets injuring over 100 people, including two policemen.

After two hours of chasing-counter chasing, the law enforcers left Shanir Akhra and took position near the Jatrabari foot over-bridge.

They also destroyed a godown containing materials for the construction of a small flyover along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

“Salahuddin's son got the contract for constructing the flyover three years ago but has not yet finished the work,” said Taslim Ahmed, a 13-year boy of Kutubkhali.

Lokman, a 12-year boy, who was chanting slogan carrying a bamboo in support of their movement, said: police without trying to pacify the mob threw tear gas canisters and charged batons intermittently that worsened the situation.

The angry protestors vandalised a godown of Russel, son of Salahuddin MP, and put the construction materials, lying there for construction purpose, on fire.

Police left the area at about 12:30 pm.

Nasir Hossain, a businessman of Noor Nagar in Demra, said that a vast area of Demra has been facing acute crises of power, water and gas for the last three months.

“We met the local lawmaker several times but all of our requests went in vain,” he added in a harsh voice.

According to locals, at around 7:45 pm, several hundred BNP cadres forced the protestors to leave the spot and opened the highway for traffic.

Besides, police also launched massive door-to-door hunt to nab the protestors, locals alleged.

7-Point Demands
The Demra dwellers set a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their seven-point demands.

“Otherwise, we will not leave the highway,” said one of the organisers of the committee.

The seven-point demand include supply of water and gas immediately, stopping load-shedding, repair of the Paterbagh water pump, completion of Shanir Akhra overbridge, eviction of illegal roadside shops and not to file any case against the Action Committee members.

They also demanded unconditional apology from the local MP for his misbehaviour with the protestors.

The Demra started boiling since Friday morning when hundreds of people of Noornagar and its adjoining areas gathered in front of Ayesha Super Market in demand of water, electricity and gas suspending vehicular movements on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Shanir Akhra.

Meeting With Mayor: Protest Withdrawn
In face of massive outrage, the DCC Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka hold a meeting with eight Sangram Parishad leaders at his Hare Road residence at around 11:40pm the night and had promised to solve the problems.

Later, the sangram leaders withdrew the agitation programme.

The Parishad leaders, however, said they would resume a 'Kansat style' movement if the assurance were not translated into reality in time.

Khoka had also assured that no case would be filed against them, he said.

"We'll not go for the programmes if the mayor's assurances are implemented," Moslehuddin Masum, convenor of the Action Committee, told reporters after the meeting.

Khoka said that he has assured the sangram leaders of solving the acute load-shedding and water crisis in a short time.

"I hope the problems will be solved in the next two to four days," Khoka added.

Khoka also assured the Parishad leaders to send water lorries to the area and repair the two dysfunctional pumps.

He also assured them of compensation to those injured in the clashes.

They're Criminals of AL, not Common People: Salahuddin
Ruling BNP lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed, meanwhile, termed aggrieved Demra-Shyampur people 'criminals' and said he did not know that water and power crises in his constituency was so acute.

"Identified criminals of the Awami League were carrying out destructive activities in the name of agitation in a planned way," the lawmaker told reporters at his Kadamtola house.

The agitation was not any outburst of common people's grief, he said.

Refuting the news of firing shots from his pistol, he said, "I did not have any firearm." He also denied his bodyguard's opening fire.

Asked about his steps to solve the problem, he said he did not know the problem was so acute. "Getting the news of the agitation, I rushed there and told them I would arrange water by tomorrow and the convinced people left the place. But when I was leaving, somebody hurled brickbats at me. Criminals of Awami League attacked me according to a previous plan."

"They have attacked me!" the MP from Demra-Shyampur expressed surprise, adding, "General people of my constituency cannot do this because I love them and I am a friend of them."

Admitting water crisis in the area, Salahuddin said the area is outside the city corporation and the army has been tasked with distribution of water there.

People to Take to Streets Again
People of Demra and Shyampur will again take to the streets if their demands are not met in stipulated time, the Action Committee warned a day before its renewed ultimatum that expired on May 12.

The committee at a press conference alleged that the people of the locality are getting angry again as no pragmatic steps were taken to meet their demands.

Its leaders alleged that cadres hired by local MP Salahuddin were patrolling in the area to create panic, unleashing threats on local people and trying to form a counter committee against the 'Demra-Shyampur Pani-Bidyut Sangram Committee'.

Addressing the press conference at Jatiya Press Club, Moslehuddin Masud, convenor of the committee, said that following May 5 "mass upsurge", army were supplying water in the area, but the supply is not adequate.

"Also, the supply of electricity and gas has not been ensured although City Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka had given specific assurance," said Masud, who emerged as the key leader in the locality following the movement.

The action committee urged the government to meet their demands immediately and stop harassment to the local people. Otherwise, they warned that people of Demra and Shyampur will be compelled to take to the streets again.

The committee announced some programme, including mass contacts and views exchange with people of the area who are facing water-power-gas crisis on May 18 and a public meeting on May 19.