Jamaat unleashes anarchy across country
At least two people were killed and 150 others injured on the fifth day of the nationwide blockade, called by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance, on Wednesday. Besides, the hartal called by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami triggered sporadic violence acoss the country. A poultry trader was killed and five others hurt when two loaded trucks overturned after being chased by opposition activists on the western part of the Bangabandhu Bridge in Sirajganj.
Masuma Akter (30), a senior officer of Rupali Bank, succumbed to burn injuries at a city hospital. She received the injuries when some miscreants set fire to a bus on November 28. With her death, the death toll from the arson attack rose to four.
In Shahbagh, unidentified miscreants exploded a crude bomb near the Ganajagoran Mancha around 3:00pm. They had exploded five crude bombs at the same place on Tuesday. Mancha activists caught a 17-year-old youth, Rasel, from the spot and handed him over to the Shahbagh police.
The police arrested Mohammad Rayhan and Abubakar near the Shahbagh Ganajagoran Mancha, suspecting them to be activists of the Islami Chhtra Shibir and brought them to Shabagh Police Station.
In Old Dhaka, miscreants exploded several crude bombs near the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court. The boms were set off when the hearing on the stay petition on Abdul Quader Mollah’s execution was taking place in the Supreme Court. The miscreants exploded several crude bombs in front of the CMM court around 9am, said Kotowali Police Station sub-inspector Manab Ghosh.
A number of city buses plied the city streets, though long-route buses remained grounded.
The opposition alliance has called the blockade from Saturday, while the Jamaat called the nationwide shutdown on Wednesday in apprehension of the execution of war crimes convict Abdul Quader Mollah. In Narail, at least 23 policemen were injured as Jamaat-Shibir supporters clashed with the police. Of the injured, the condition of Muktar Hossain, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Narail Sadar Police Station, is said be critical. He is undergoing treatment at the Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH).
In Khulna, at least 15 Shibir activists were injured in a clash with the police at Sonadanga around 7am. The clash erupted in front of the Mohila Krira Complex.
The shibir activists hurled 16 crude bombs at the police, while the law enforcers fired 102 rounds of bullets and several rounds of teargas canisters during the 30-minute-long clash, said Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Sonadanga Police Station.
Local Shibir leaders claimed that at least 15 activists were injured during the clash. The injured were admitted to different local hospitals.
In Natore, Jamaat-Shibir men ransacked the brunches of National, Prime, BRAC and Jamuna Bank Ltd and 15 other shops at Kanaikhali area of the town around 10:10am on Wednesday.
In Sylhet, around 50 people, including two policemen, were injured as opposition supporters clashed with the police on the Sylhet-Sunamganj road at Tuker Bazar area. The law enforcers fired around 200 rounds of rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the activists, said Md Ayub, additional deputy commissioner of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP). Fifteen people were picked up from the spot.
The Jamaat-Shibir activists also torched two police vans at Ambarkhana. The police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas canisters to bring the situation under control.
Train communication remained suspended on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari route since morning as miscreants removed at least 250 clips from the railway tracks between Bawra and Patgram stations in the district. Sazzad Hossain, assistant traffic superintendent of the Lalmonirhat Railway Division, alleged that the rail authorities sent workers to repair the track, but a group of Jamaat-Shibir supporters prevented them from doing any work.
In Sirajganj, opposition activists damaged 25 goods-laden trucks and set ablaze three trucks on Tuesday night. Fire-fighters rushed to the spot and put out the fire. The miscreants also uprooted the planks of the Bangabandhu Bridge and put up barricades on roads.
The areas worst hit by violence are Rajshahi, Joypurhat, Gaibandha and Chittagong.
In Joypurhat, they vandalised and set fire to the Awami League office and the residence of the party’s district unit general secretary. Zila parishad administrator SM Solaiman Ali and the general secretary confirmed the incidents.
In Gaibandha, Jamaat-Shibir activists went berserk at Palashbarhi upazila. They turned off the lights along the Dhaka-Rangpur highway and vandalised vehicles, shops, and houses of local Awami League leaders and set them on fire. Over 100 improvised bombs were exploded during this period. The residence of Awami League upazila unit chief Tofazzal Hossain was ransacked and torched. Shops and residences belonging to ruling party supporters were also subjected to vandalism and arson. The police fired several rounds of bullets and lobbed teargas canisters to bring the situation under control.
In Shanirakhra, a group of Jamaat-Shibir activists attacked sub-inspector Abdul Khalek and snatched his pistol while he was going to Demra Police Station around 9am. The firearm has not been recovered till the filling of this report at 7:30pm.
-With The Independent input
