CHATTOGRAM, Mar 9: A concert at Abahani Club Field in the Halisahar area of Chattogram turned chaotic on Friday night, resulting in injuries to fifteen individuals, including three policemen. The incident occurred during a performance by the Bangla rock band Ashes, scheduled for Friday evening, following a cattle expo at the venue the previous day.
According to Kaisar Hamid, Officer-in-Charge of Halishahar Police Station, the situation escalated around 10 pm due to the venue exceeding its capacity, leading to an attempt by the police to manage the overcrowding.
The tension heightened when some attendees began throwing water bottles at the police, prompting officers to disperse the crowd, which escalated into a clash.
Eyewitness Rakibul Alam reported that the police response to the overcrowding included the use of tear gas shells, which intensified the chaos. The confrontation saw individuals retaliating with brick chips, and police firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets in the air to control the situation.
Nihad Adnana Taian, Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, outlined that the turmoil was sparked by the venues inability to accommodate the large crowd, with the situation deteriorating as some concertgoers reacted violently towards police efforts to restore order. The altercation also led to the vandalism of a police vehicle. —UNB
