Jamaat Protests
One killed in explosion, 13 hurt in clashes with police
A Jamaat-e-Islami activist was killed and three were injured in an explosion while making crude bombs in Noakhali early Sunday and at least 13 people, including four policemen, were injured in clashes with the police across the country.
The police also arrested 60 activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir at the Sher-e-Bangla Hostel of Chittagong College after Shibir supporters had clashed with the police in the morning.
The Jamaat and Shibir on Sunday rallied at places across the country as as part of scheduled protests
against the attack on and killing of its activists during the 48-hour general strike Jamaat enforced on Monday and Tuesday .
The police also arrested at least 20 Jamaat and Shibir activists at places in Dhaka city, Chittagong and Noakhali for their suspected involvement in clashes and other subversive activities.
At Uttara in Dhaka, at least 10 permanent members of Jamaat were arrested at a house on Saturday night on charge of conspiring against the state. The police arrested them at the house where they were holding a meeting about 8:30pm. The police, however, failed to arrest the house owner. The members were arrested on the eve of Jamaat’s protests.
At least seven people, including two policemen, were injured at Mohakhali when Jamaat and Shibir activists clashed with the police.
The police and witnesses said that a group of Jamaat and Shibir men, led by former Shibir president Rezaul Karim, had brought out a procession from the Mohakhali level crossing about 9:00am.
As the police stopped them, they started pelting the law enforces with stones. The police fired teargas shells to disperse them, leaving seven people injured, the Tejgaon police officer-in-charge, Apurba Hasan, said.
He said that two Shibir activists had also been arrested at the spot after they had attacked the police and vandalised a police van, he said.
The correspondent in Chittagong said that six people, including two policemen, had been injured as Jamaat and Shibir activists went on the rampage at Badurtala of Panchlaish. The injured constables Jewel and Kasem were given first-aid treatment.
The Panchlaish police officer-in-charge, Pradip Kumar Das, said that 150 activists of Jamaat and Shibir had brought out a procession about 10:30am and vandalised eight vehicles, including a police pick-up van.
The police also fired blank shots to disperse the Jamaat and Shibir men, who exploded two to three crude bombs while they were running away. The police arrested six at the spot.
Later in the afternoon, the police conducted a raid on the Sher-e-Bagla Hostel of Chittagong College, known as Shibir’s stronghold, and arrested 60 activists for their suspected involvement in the attack on the police at Badurtala.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (south) deputy commissioner Abdullahel Baki said that they had information that Shibir activists were gathering at the hostel to plan an act of sabotage.
He said that cases would be field against them after verification.
The correspondent in Noakhali said that a Jamaat activist had been killed and three others injured in an explosion at a mess run by Shibir at Shahjadpur of Companiganj in the district.
The deceased was Ismail Hossain Sumon, from the Basurhat municipality.
The police said that the explosion had taken place in a house roofed with corrugated iron sheets about 3:30am where Jamaat and Shibir activists were making crude bombs.
The critically injured Islami was sent to Noakhali Medical College Hospital where he died about 4:30am, the Companiganj police officer-in-charge, Sajedur Rahman, said.
The police claimed that the deceased and injured were Jamaat and Shibir activists. A suspect was arrested.
-With New Age input
