Bangladeshi citizen Anwer Hossain, co-owner of Styiza spaza shop in Extension 6, was shot in an attempted murder by an unknown assailant, prompting renewed pressure from the Bangladeshi community on the SAPS.
Bangladeshi citizen Anwer Hossain, co-owner of Styiza spaza shop in Extension 6, was shot in an attempted murder by an unknown assailant, prompting renewed pressure from the Bangladeshi community on the SAPS.
The Bangladeshi Community Welfare (BCW) group held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the crime, followed by a march of around 40 people to the police station to discuss the case with the investigating officer. "We are sorry for what happened, as a community we do not accept crime. We want the police to do their job. We want South African law to take its course," said Ronnie Ullah, the BCW spokesperson.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday 21 July at about 8.20pm. One shot was fired, hitting Hossain in the chest.
Milanda Coetzer, the Crime Intelligence Officer of the Grahamstown SAPS, told Grocott’s Mail that "the police are following all leads. We are concerned about the number of firearm incidents, they are always more serious. To combat these potentially fatal crimes we need the help of the community." Nothing was stolen from the premises and according to Coetzer this has been the first time since April that an attempted murder has taken place without theft as a motive.
This follows on a meeting that was held in June between BCW and the Grahamstown Community Police Forum to strengthen the ties between the two organistions and prevent crime committted against members of Grahamstown’s Bangladeshi community.
Coetzer confirmed that Hossain was admitted to Settlers Hospital shortly after the incident but was unconscious at the time. Upon regaining consciousness early on Wednesday morning, Hossain confirmed that the assailant was black. Irene Solomon, Settlers Hospital spokesperson, said, "His condition is stable and he should be released today should his condition improve."
Rasal Mithu, Hossain’s brother-in-law was clearly emotional and afraid for his own personal safety. Ullah also expressed the collective fear of the community saying, "We all came here to live and survive, we do not want to live in fear". Mithu said he "felt very bad" about the shooting and was hoping for police to apprehend all those who were responsible.
The BCW believe that the shooting may have been sparked by financial difficulties between Hossain and Saifur Rahaman, also a Bangladeshi citizen. The group described Rahaman as a "gangster" and said "he hired someone to shoot Hossain" despite there being no proof for these allegations. Captain Havenga of the Grahamstown SAPS explained to the community that "if there is no actual evidence, then there can be no arrests".
Coetzer concluded that "no suspects have been arrested at this time. However, the case is still under investigation and once we have followed all the leads we can draw a final conclusion".
