DHAKA: Soccer fans ran riot through different areas of the capital city on Saturday night in a violent protest as power outages shut them off from the World Cup match between Argentina and Nigeria.

The protestors ransacked vehicles in Jatrabari, Mirpur, Bangshal and Sabujbagh areas after the power went out at around 9 pm, witnesses said.

Mobs broke at least 25 vehicles, including three police cars, and set fire to some damaged buses. The nighttime melees brought traffic on the busy Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet highways to a standstill at Jatrabari crossroads.  

“Police brought the situation under control at 10:00pm and made the traffic normal,” Jatrabari thana Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman told banglanews24.com.bd.

In the wake of the unrest, some football-crazy youths vandalized Golapbagh power substation office of DESA.

BDST: 0005 HRS. June 13, 2010
SRR/SRJ/AK/SMS/MUA