After clinic attack, youths vandalise restaurant in Khulna

A group of youths attacked and vandalised the Chinese Palace restaurant near PTI Mor on Ahsan Ahmed Road in Khulna city. The attack took place on Wednesday afternoon (28 October), a few days after a clinic in the city was attacked in a similar fashion.

According to the restaurant authorities, four or five youths entered the restaurant in the afternoon, hurled chairs and kicked through the front glass panels. Furniture inside the restaurant was also ransacked. No one was injured in the incident.

An employee of the restaurant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said four youths first came and asked where the Chinese Palace restaurant was. As soon as it was pointed out to them, they began the vandalism, throwing chairs and kicking the glass until it broke, before fleeing the scene.

The employees could not immediately say why the attack was carried out. It was also not confirmed who the attackers were or whether they had any dispute with the restaurant authorities.

CCTV footage from the restaurant shows four youths carrying out the vandalism. Based on the footage, their ages are estimated at between 22 and 24.

Lokman Hossain, officer-in-charge of Khulna Sadar police station, said it was initially learned that the attack stemmed from complaints that phone calls to the Chinese Palace restaurant went unanswered. He described the attackers as a group of unruly youths and said police had visited the spot.

Earlier, on the night of 24 October at around 9pm, the Sandhani Clinic in Khulna city was attacked and vandalised by a group of 10 to 12 men who arrived on motorcycles. OC Lokman Hossain said at the time that shots had been fired at the clinic, and that an investigation was under way to identify the attackers.

With another establishment attacked within days of the clinic incident, concern has grown over the security of business establishments in the city.