The capital remained cut off from the rest of the country on the second day of the opposition-enforced fifth spell of blockade of roads, railway and waterways that passed off amid violence and drives of joint forces to arrest ‘anarchists’ across the country. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition alliance began to enforce the fifth spell of blockade pressing for cancellation of the January-5 ‘farcical’ election and holding election under a non-party government.
The blockade is scheduled to end at 5:00pm on Tuesday, if not extended like the previous spells of blockades so far have been enforced since November 26.
A government move to run vehicles on long routes defying blockade got a lukewarm response from transport owners and they did not run any bus on long routes. The government on the day formed a nine-member body to ensure smooth plying of vehicles on highways amid the blockade.
The government at a high-level meeting chaired by communications minister also asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation to ply its buses and trucks on long routes
Opposition activists continued to clash with the police and ruling party activists to enforce the blockade.
New Age correspondent in Jaipurhat reported that at least 10 people were injured as the activists of the opposition alliance and ruling Awami League clashed at Panchbibi upazila.
In a sequel to the clash, the BNP activists vandalised the upazila Awami League office and houses of Awami League leaders prompting the upazila administration to impose a ban on any gathering from midnight Sunday to Monday noon in Panchbibi municipality area.
The police said that the clash ensued when processions of BNP-led alliance and Awami League faced off at Barawari intersection at about 11:00am.
Afterwards, the opposition activists attacked the upazila AL office and set the furniture on fire. They also attacked and damaged several houses of local AL activists and threw petrol bombs on the house of Panchbibi municipal mayor Habibur Rahman, also the upazila AL general secretary. The house caught in fire and firefighters later doused the flames.
Additional police were deployed in the area to control law and order.
Panchbibi police officer-in-charge Nur Alam said that the administration banned any gathering in the municipal area for 12 hours.
New Age correspondent in Satkhira reported that activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami
and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir clashed with joint forces who conducted a drive in Satkhira to arrest the party activists.
Three policemen and a Shibir activist were injured in the clash that took place at Garer Math of Kaliganj upazila on early Sunday.
The police said that the clash erupted when Jamaat and Shibir activists obstructed the joint forces.
Shibir man Babu sustained bullet wounds and he was admitted to Satkhira general hospital in custody.
Jamaat and Shibir men also clashed with joint forces at Mahmudpur of district headquarters when the forces were clearing roadblocks.
Locals said that some masked men attacked the houses of a Jamaat leader, a BNP leader and a college principal during the drive.
Witnesses said that the forces went on a drive at the house of Jamaat leader Shafiqul Islam midnight past Saturday but he managed to flee earlier. Then, some masked men razed the house with bulldozers and set the cattle shed on fire that charred several goats.
At about 1:00am, drives were on at the house of BNP leader and union council member Anisur Rahman. Failing to nab him, masked men accompanying joint forces had damaged the house and the adjacent one of Simanta College principal Azizur Rahman.
The joint forces, meanwhile detained six people from Tala on charge of sabotage, said Satkhira additional superintendent of police Joydeb Chowdhury.
About rampage on houses at Mahmudpur, Joydeb said that it might have been resulted from anger of local people but actions would be taken if anyone filed complaints.
Law enforcers have set up check posts at the entrance of Satkhira town.
The joint forces launched a drive to arrest ‘criminals’ since December 15 in Satkhira, known to be a Jamaat stronghold.
New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that train service remained halted on Rangpur-Lalmonirhat-Dhaka route as a locomotive of a goods train derailed at Babupara of Rangpur.
The derailment took place when the engine was shunting its direction, said Rangpur railway station superintendent Mozammel Haque. He also denied any acts of subversion behind the derailment.
Reports from Bogra said that joint forces detained 65 opposition activists including Shahjahanpur upazila Jamaat nayeb-e-amir Abdul Latif and Majhira union chairman Abdus Salam during the blockade.
At least six goods laden trucks were set on fire and more than 50 vehicles were vandalised at places on Dhaka-Rangpur highway in the district.
Joint forces had nabbed five people from Shahjahanpur, Dhunat and Sonatala at dead of night. They also went on a drive beside Majhira cantonment when the opposition alliance was holding a rally blocking the highway at about noon.
Members of police and Rapid Action Battalion cordoned off the rally and arrested 60 people in the hour-long drive.
Opposition leaders claimed that at least 10 people including Shahjahanpur upazila BNP convener Fazlul Huq Ratan were injured. The opposition activist again took position on the highway after joint forces left the scene.
Bogra assistant superintendent of police Gaziur Rahman said that the arrested 65 people were facing charges of vandalism, arson and acts of subversion.
Opposition activists severely injured Juba League leader Solaiman Howlader at Dalal Bazar of Laksmipur and torched his motorbike in the morning. He was admitted to Laksmipur general hospital, said the correspondent there.
Reports from Sirajganj said that drives of joint forces went futile as all the adult males at 10 villages in the district headquarters and Kamarkhand went into hiding.
In Barisal, at least 18 BNP activists including a ward councillor were arrested and sent to jail at evening.
Barisal Metropolitan Police deputy commissioners (south) ATM Muzahidul Islam said that the police arrested Barisal city ward councillor Selim Haoladar.
Barisal superintendent of police AKM Ehsan Ullah said that at least 14 BNP activists were arrested at different upazilas in the district on Sunday.
Two buses were torched near the police superintendent’s office in Chittagong in the morning.
The city unit Chhatra Dal, meantime, called a general strike in Chittagong city for today protesting at the arrest of its acting central president Bazlur Rahman Chowdhury Abed.
Jamaat and Shibir activists were arrested at places at Lohagara upazila in Chittagong, said Lohagara police officer-in-charge Md Shajan.
In Lalmonirhat, the police arrested Aditmari upazila Shibir president Anwarul Islam Rana on charge of arson attack on vehicles at Mahishkhocha Bazar, said Aditmari police chief Aslam Iqbal.
The capital was calm during the blockade excepting blast of few crude bombs at places.
Courtesy of New Age
