‘Students’ vandalise Durbin Bangla restaurant after ‘seating row’

A group of young men has ransacked Durbin Bangla, a Dhaka restaurant that has been the talk of social media, after a row over seating.

Police and the restaurant say all the attackers were students of Government Titumir College.

The attack took place at the Mohakhali eatery between 11am and 11:30am on Friday, according to witnesses.

A Banani Police Station patrol team reached the scene but could not stop the attackers, who allegedly pushed past the officers and ransacked the restaurant.

The restaurant has drawn crowds in recent weeks for its breakfast, especially on holidays, when queues form and customers wait their turn in a separate waiting area.

A video of the attack has gone viral, showing people smashing up the restaurant while a few police personnel try to hold them back.

A visit to the restaurant on Friday afternoon found glass shards scattered at the entrance and the interior in disarray.

The glass panes on both sides of the restaurant had been smashed. Local residents gathered outside as police officials from the Gulshan Division inspected the scene.

Owner Safin Baig said a young man took a seat the moment it was vacated, though a family had been waiting for it, and an argument broke out. A staffer stepped in and offered him another spot, apparently guessing he was a student.

The young men stormed out, returned with others and beat staffer Khalil outside before the vandalism began. Safin said it was all caught on CCTV.

A local resident said at least 100 people were smashing up the restaurant when he arrived, with more across the road.

They reportedly chased him when he began filming, and beat a rickshaw passenger with shoes for doing the same.

The resident said the trouble began when students attacked a restaurant employee. During the ensuing scuffle, a student was apparently injured in the head, after which the group called in 100 to 150 others.

Gulshan Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Ruhul Kabir Khan visited the scene with other officers.

He told bdnews24.com that students of Titumir College had been involved and police were working to identify them from the available footage.

The deputy commissioner advised Safin to reopen the restaurant as soon as possible and assured him that police would maintain a presence there.