Around 20 residents, including women and children, of the Miranzillah Sweeper Colony in Old Dhaka were injured in an attack allegedly carried out by supporters of councillor of Ward 33 under Dhaka South City Corporation Md Awal Hossain on Wednesday.

The residents said that supporters of Awal Hossain attacked them at noon in the presence of the DSCC executive magistrate Md Moniruzzaman who, according to a letter issued by the DSCC on July 9, went there as part of a two-day drive to handover of quarters allotted the DSCC employees, including six Muslims and 60 Hindu sweepers of Harijan community.

According to the letter, signed by the DSCC CEO Md Mizanur Rahman,  police deployment was requested at the colony on July 10 and July 11 as a group of sweepers not associated with the DSCC were interrupting the handover process.

However, the DSCC executive magistrate Md Moniruzzaman told News Age that he neither knew about the drive nor was aware of the councillor’s supporters accompanying him.

He added that he went to the colony to inquire about the gas, electricity and water connection problems.

The police were trying to restore law and order at the colony where the electricity supply was cut off after the attack allegedly carried out by Councillor Md Awal Hossain, who could not be reached for comment.