Programme extended until 5am Friday
At least nine people were killed and over 300 injured as supporters of the BNP-led 18-party alliance clashed with law enforcers and ruling party activists across the country on the second day of the opposition’s blockade programme on Tuesday. Explosion of bombs, uprooting of rail tracks, vandalism and arson attacks also marked the 2nd day of the opposition programme, which has been extended by another 23 hours until 5am Friday.
Of the deaths, two each were reported from Sirajganj, Satkhira and Chittagong and one each from Dhaka, Gazipur and Jessore.
Protesting the death of a Jamaat leader in Jessore, the party’s district unit has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district for Thursday.
With the deaths on Wednesday, the country witnessed the loss of 16 lives in the first two days of the opposition programme, being enforced to protest the announcement of schedule for the 10th parliamentary election.
The blockade programme, which began at 6am Tuesday, was scheduled to end at 6am on Thursday. BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, at a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon, announced the extension of the programme by 12 hours until 6pm Thursday. Later in the night, Rizvi announced further extension of the programme by 11 hours until 5am Friday.
He said that the blockade programme was extended to protest ‘rampant killing of opposition supporters’.
On Wednesday, the railway authorities suspended all trains to the northern region from Dhaka. The rail authorities through text messages urged the people to help protect railway properties. Some blockaders removed fish plates from the railway tracks in Lalmonirhat district. Train services in the Rajbari-Bhatiyapara route remained suspended as blockaders set fire to a rail coach during the siege programme.
Train communications were also suspended when a group of opposition set fire to the railway tracks in Sitakunda and Pahartoli areas.
Our Siranganj correspondent reports that at least two persons were killed and 50 others injured when BNP and Jamaat-Shibir supporters locked in a fierce clash with AL supporters and the police in Mukundagati Bazaar area in Belkuchi upazila of the district in the morning. The deceased were identified as Masum Billah (28), general secretary of Dhukuria Bera union’s ward no-3, and Abdul Zalil (55), rokon candidate for the Belkuchi upazila unit of Jamaat.
In Dhaka, Anwara Begum (45), a female bank employee, succumbed to her injuries sustained in bomb explosions on the first day of the blockade programme.
She died around 5 am on Wednesday at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
In Satkhira, a Jamaat activist was shot dead and several others were injured in a clash with law enforcers at Shealdanga village in sadar upazila. The deceased was identified as Shamsur Rahman (35). Satkhira district unit Jamaat ameer Abdul Khalek Mandal called a half-day hartal for Thursday in the district, protesting the killing of Shamsur Rahman.
Also, Ambia Khatun (30), a woman, was killed when a tree fell on her while Shibir activists were cutting the tree for blockading a street in Kolaroa upazila.
In Chittagong, a man was killed when a human-hauler turned turtle after being chased by a group of blockaders on the Chittagong-Anwara road at Fakirhat in Patia upazila in the afternoon. The deceased was identified as Ershad Ali (25).
In another incident, Mohammad Shahed, 20, was injured in a Shibir attack in Satkania and he died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital around 10pm. Abdul Latif, the officer-in-charge of Satkania, confirmed the death.
Our Gazipur correspondent reports that Kamal Hossain (40), an Awami league leader, was killed in a clash between supporters of the BNP and the AL in Dolon Bazar area under Kaligonj upazila of Gazipur district during the blockade programme. At least 10 others were injured and Union Chhatra League president Junayed was sent the Dhaka medical college hospital for treatment.
Soon after the death of Kamal Hosain, local AL supporters vandalised 10 shops and torched 10 business establishments. On receiving the scene, fire fighters rushed to the scene and doused the flames.
In Jessore, miscreants shot a local Jamaat leader to death at Upashahar area on the outskirts of the district town. The deceased, identified as Abdul Hye Siddique alias Bulbul Ahmed, was the secretary of Upashahar unit of Jamaat.
The party has called a daylong hartal in the district for Thursday.
In the capital, at least 25 people were injured, 10 vehicles were torched and several crude bombs exploded as opposition supporters clashed with law enforcers at different places. At least 20 people were injured as blockaders clashed with the police on the Dhaka-Aricha highway at Phulbaria in Savar.
Opposition supporters set fire to three private cars at Ashkona in Uttara, a pick-up van at Naya Bazar in Old Dhaka and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Kalshi of Mirpur. Law enforcers detained four pro-blockade activists with four crude bombs from Kalshi in Mirpur. Reports of crude bomb explosions came from Mahakhali, Mogbazar, Gabtoli, Mirpur and Ashkona in Uttara.
Opposition activists exploded eight crude bombs at different points of Gabtoli in a span of 15 minutes from 6:15am.
Police detained two Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists, Tejgaon industrial unit JCD president Sakhawat Hossain Saikat and activist Ashraful Alam, in the Tejgaon industrial area in the morning. Earlier, two crude bombs exploded in the area. Chhatra Shibir activists tried to block railway tracks and exploded at least 14-15 crude bombs in Doyaganj at about 8:30am. Later, law enforcers brought the situation under control by firing 25-30 rubber bullets.
Police also detained two young men, Sabuj (17) and Sajib (18), near the Election Commission Secretariat in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area around 9:45am after two bombs exploded in the area.
No long-route bus left the city terminals while fewer buses plied on the city streets.
In Rajshahi, about 20 opposition supporters, including city mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, sustained rubber bullet injuries during the clash, said Abur Zafar Tutu, personal secretary to the mayor. Bulbul was admitted to a city clinic, he added.
Witnesses said the BNP led 18-party alliance brought out a procession near the Government Women College in the city around 7:30am. Law enforcers opened fire on them from an armoured personnel carrier to disperse the agitators. The police fired around 100 rounds of rubber bullets and over 50 teargas shells as the activists hurled crude bombs at them.
Three policemen hurt were hurt in the incident, said Ziaur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station. The police detained 12 activists of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir from the spot, he added.
In Chittagong, at least 50 people, including three policemen, were injured from several clashes during the blockade programme.
A procession of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal clashed with the police at Nimtola in the Morning. As many as 10 people sustained bullet injuries, while at least 20 people were injured in the clash.
Police detained 10 BNP supporters, including Zahidul Alam, president of Chittagong ward -36.
Some blockaders also vandalised and set fire to vehicles at Bahaddarhat, Cornel Hat and WASA Square of the port city. One of the victims received severe injuries at Cornel Hat. At least 20 people were injured in another clash between blockade supporters and law enforcers at Alankarmore area.
In Narsingdhi, at least 15 people were injured in a clash between law enforcers and blockaders in the town.
In Natore, at least 10 persons were injured in a clash between local BNP and Awami League activists in Boraigram Upazila. seven local BNP activists were arrested from the spot.
In Jessore, at least 15 people were injured, including two police constables, at Kuada Bazar of the Jessore-Satkhira road.
In Habiganj, clashes erupted between AL activists, blockaders and the police in Nabiganj upazila and Shayestaganj, leaving at least 10 people injured.
In Manikganj, a clash between BNP supporters and the police left 20 people, including five policemen, injured in the town in the morning.
Incidents of violence were also reported from Khulan, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Chapainawabganj, Comilla, Netrakona, Jhenidah, Kurigram and Savar.
-With The Independent input
