One dead, 50 hurt in Bangladesh airport protest

reuters.com

Mon Jan 31, 2011

DHAKA (Reuters) – Angry protesters in Bangladesh clashed with police on Monday over a government plan to acquire their land for a new airport, killing one policeman and injuring dozens.

Bangladeshi police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse villagers who set fire to a police camp during the protests, witnesses said.

The protesters, many carrying sticks, choppers and spears, burnt a police van and barricaded main roads, they added.

Villagers and opposition political parties oppose the plan to build the new international airport only few kilometres from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal airport.

Police said one of their officers was killed and some 50 people, including at least nine policemen, were injured in the clashes.

« We are facing a huge problem with violent protesters, many policemen are also injured, there’s nothing more I can say at the moment, » said a police officer on duty at their control room in the area.

« It’s a running battle going on between security forces and thousands of protesters streaming out of their villages, » said another police officer at the scene.

State Minister for Law, Qamrul Islam, said on Sunday the project would go ahead and the protests were being « provoked by the government’s foes. »

Affected people would be adequately compensated, he said. Read more…

Policeman dead, scores injured in airport protest

gulf-times.com

31 01 2011

Angry protesters in Bangladesh clash with police over a government plan to acquire their land for a new airport

A Bangladeshi policeman was beaten to death yesterday when clashes erupted as 20,000 villagers demonstrated against proposals to build a new airport, officials said

Scores of people were injured during the violence as locals threw bricks and rocks at police after the government approved plans to build a $7bn airport outside Dhaka, the national capital.

Protesters, some armed with sticks and axes, attacked police at the site in Srinagar sub-district, 40km (25 miles) south of the city. The police responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas.

“A police sub-inspector was killed after he was attacked by villagers with sticks and machetes,” deputy police chief Lalon Ahmed told AFP. Ahmed was himself was injured and admitted to hospital with head and leg wounds.

“They stopped a police van by felling a tree and then attacked a number of police officers, one of them died in hospital from his wounds,” he said. “At least 50 people, including 40 policemen, were injured, several seriously.”

Villagers also burned down a nearby police post and blocked a major highway between Dhaka and the airport site. Read more…

Bangladesh: Clashes over Dhaka airport plans

bbc.co.uk

31 January 2011

Police in Bangladesh have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse villagers protesting against government plans to build a new airport south of the capital Dhaka.

The farmers, whose land the government wants to acquire for the project, set fire to a police camp, burned a police vehicle and blocked roads.

One policemen was killed and more than 50 people injured in the clashes.

The government says the farmers will be adequately compensated for their land.

Critics of the plans say the country’s existing airports are not operating at capacity.

Police say about 20,000 villagers demonstrated on Monday against plans to build Bangabandhu International Airport, in Munshiganj district. Read more…

~ par Alain Bertho sur 1 février 2011.

Publié dans émeutes, riots