Blockade extended until 6am Friday; Jamaat calls strike today
Two persons, including a schoolboy, were killed and over 50 others injured in sporadic incidents of violence on the third day of the nationwide 72-hour blockade, enforced by BNP-led 18-party alliance, and Jamaat-e-Islami called hartal on Monday. Meanwhile, the 18-party alliance has extended the road-rail-waterway blockade till 6 am on Friday. BNP Joint Secretary General Salauddin Ahmed made the announcement from a secret location through a recorded video message, received by media on Monday.
In the massage, Salauddin said the three-day blockade programme being enforced since 6:00am Saturday has been extended by another 72 hours as the government is yet to accept the demand to hold elections under a non-party poll-time government and to postpone schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls.
In a separate development, Jammat-e-Islami has called another dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country for Tuesday protesting what it calls ‘the violation of the constitution, supreme court rules and the jail code’ in the issue of the death warrant against party Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Mollah. Jamaat Acting Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman announced the hartal through a press release on Monday evening.
In Sirajganj, a 13-year old schoolboy named Sumon, from Bohuli village in Sadar upazila, was killed and 30 others were injured when BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with police on the Sirajganj-Raiganj road near Bohuli Bazar in Sadar upazila.
According to police, 18-party activists brought out a procession on the Sirajganj-Raiganj road near Bohuli Bazar. After police obstructed the procession, a clash broke out. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.
Sumon got shot during the clash and died on the spot. Thirty others hurt in the incident were admitted to the Sirajganj Sadar hospital and other local clinics. Hospital sources said two among the injured are in a critical condition.
Police sent Sumon’s body to the Sirajganj Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy. A tense situation was prevailing and additional police were deployed in the area.
In Chittagong, a suspected Shibir activist was killed in a blast while making bombs at Sitakunda on Monday night, police said.
The deceased was identified as Russell, an activist of Sitakunda unit of Chhatra Shibir. Two other Shibir activists were also injured in the explosion. However, police could not confirm the identities of those injured. The 18-party alliance has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Sirajganj for Tuesday, in protest of the death of Sumon.
Stray incidents of violence including blast of crude bombs, arson attack on vehicles, and clashes marked the 3rd day of the opposition blockade in different parts of the capital.
Blockaders exploded crude bombs at Madhya Badda, Jatrabari, Shanir Akhra and Mirpur-1 in the morning. Police detained 14 people from various parts of the capital.
In Shanir Akhra, blockade supporters brought out a procession in the morning. Police fired several rounds of bullet to disperse the blockaders.
18-party men tried to obstruct the rail line in Tejgaon area by placing burning tires on the tracks at about 6:15am. Police rushed to the spot and doused the blaze.
Police arrested a woman named Shahnur, 30, from Gulshan-2 while fleeing after hurling crude bombs in the area at about 08:50am. Blockade supporters clashed with police in Jatrabari at around 9:00am. Police fired several rounds of rubber bullet during the clash. Six people, including one with bullet injury, were picked up by the police. Shibir activists set fire to three human haulers in Jatrabari area at around 12:45pm.
Jamaat-Shibir activists clashed with police in Nayanagar area of Bhatara. Police fired 20-25 rounds of rubber bullet to disperse the activists. Police detained 8 Jamaat-Shibir men in Badda in the morning.
In Keraniganj, three buses were torched in a bus depot on Dhaka-Maowa road in Rajendrapur area early Monday. At least five crude bombs were blasted in front of the Sangbadik Colony at Kalshi. A vehicle was set on fire in Savar. No long-route buses left Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtoli terminals since morning.
In Laxmipur, at least nine crude bombs were exploded as Jamaat-Shibir activists put up blockades at several points in the district by placing logs and burning tyres to enforce the daylong strike.
Law enforcers detained around 35 people from different places of Chuadanga, Chittagong and Sylhet districts.
In Madaripur, the district Swechhasebak Dal called a half day hartal for Tuesday demanding release of BNP central leaders.
In Bogra, two Naogaon-bound trucks were set on fire by blockaders in Erulia area and two pick-up vans were torched at an Uttara motors servicing centre at charmatha bus terminal around 9am. Unidentified men hurled two handmade bombs at Awami League Lawmaker Abdul Mannan’s residence in Bogra, at around 12.30am.
Stray incidents marked the blockade in Barisal as 18-party activists blocked roads and highways, blast cocktails and torched some vehicles.
In Gazipur, blockaders vandalised several vehicles, blockaded road at Joydevpur in the morning. Five opposition activists were hurt when police fired rubber bullets and charged batons to disperse blockaders near the Joydevpur bus stand.
In Comilla, a truck driver and his helper suffered burn injuries when Jamaat-Shibir men set fire to a truck in Debidwar upazila in the morning.
In Rajshahi, two police constables were hurt when Shibir activists clashed with law enforcers and blasted several crude bombs at Shalbagan in Rajshahi city. Police intercepted the pickets after they exploded at least eight crude bombs and blocked Rajshahi-Noagaon highway around 9 am, Ziaur Rahman, OC of Boalia Police Station, said. RAB and BGB forces rushed to the spot and fired around 100 round bullets and 10 tear shell canisters to disperse the Shibir activists, the OC added.
-With The Independent input
