At least three people were killed and nearly 70 others injured during the last day of the blockade programme, called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, on Thursday. So far, a total of 33 people have been killed during the second phase of the 131-hour-long blockade that began on Saturday morning. The first phase of the blockade programme, which lasted for 71 hours from November 26-28, claimed at least 23 lives.
In the meantime, the BNP-led 18-party alliance has called another 72-hour-long blockade programme across the country from 6am on Saturday, demanding
that the next national election be arranged under a non-party poll-time government.
Train communication from Joypurhat to Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka and Parbatipur remained suspended for hours as blockaders uprooted railway tracks in sadar upazila in the early hours of the day.
The last day of the 131-hour-long blockade was marked by incidents of violence in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
A teenage transport worker, who sustained severe burn injuries at Sayedabad in the capital early on Thursday, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital later in the day.
The victim, Hasan, was injured when blockaders hurled three petrol bombs at the bus he was sleeping in.
Over 90 per cent of the victim’s body was burnt in the attack, Partha Sankar Pal, a residential surgeon of the DMCH Burn Unit, said.
In Malibagh, law enforcers, after being tipped off, detained a woman, with 20 cocktails in her possession, from Malibagh in the city around 8 am. The woman was arrested from her shop at Malibagh Super Market, said Kripa Sindhu Bala, officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station.
In Old Dhaka, pro-blockade activists exploded nearly 12 crude bombs behind the CMM Court at Rayshaheb bazar area around 11:15am. Members of police and RAB rushed to the scene, but they could not arrest anybody in this connection.
In Mirpur, the RAB recovered seven abandoned bombs from Botanical Garden area around 9am. Habibur Rahman, legal and media wing director of the RAB, confirmed the news. He said no one was arrested in this connection till now.
In Moghbazar, activists of the Jamaat-Shibir brought out a procession at Moghbazar Wireless Railgate area and blocked the road around 8am. They fled the scene sensing police approach.
Jamaat-Shibir activists exploded several crude bombs in front of Shahinbagh College at Shahinbagh of Tejgaon area. They also set fire to two CNG-run auto-rickshaws around 7:30pm. The police rushed to the scene and fired several blank shots to bring the situation under control.
No long-route bus left the city’s bus terminals.
Our Chittagong correspondent reports that a rickshaw-puller, who suffered bullet injuries three days ago in Feni during a clash, died around 9:30am at the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital on Thursday.
The driver of a CNG-run three-wheeler sustained serious burn injuries as blockaders set fire to his vehicle in Chittagong city.
In Laxmipur, some Jamaat-Shibir activists put up barricades at several
parts of the district. Pro-blockade activists brought out separate processions at Mandani Bazar, Dalal Bazar, College Road, North Temuhoni and South Temuhoni areas. They also burnt chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin’s effigy in the morning.
In Kurigram, about 20 people, including a policeman, were injured as opposition supporters clash with law enforcers in Chilmari upazila of the district in the morning. One motorcycle was torched, while an ambulance, another motorcycle and two bicycles were vandalised during the incident.
The police fired 89 rounds of rubber bullets and six teargas shells to bring the situation under control, said Rejaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Chilmari Police Station.
In Sirajganj, blockaders and the police engaged in a clash at Mujib Sarak area, leaving five people injured. The law enforcers fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
A group of blockaders set fire to a mini-truck and vandalised two trucks at Rahmatganj area on the Sirajganj-Kazipur highway.
In Narayanganj, at least five people were injured in a clash between Jubo Dal activists and the police at Fatullah. The police fired rubber bullets to disperse the activists.
Earlier, Shibir activists set fire to the Dhaka-Narayanganj railway track in the morning, thus suspending rail communication in the area for half-an-hour.
In Jhenaidaha, blockaders set fire to a truck, loaded with packed food, at Shatpakia on the Jhalakathi-Barisal regional highway. They also put up blockades on the highway.
Violent incidents were also reported from other districts, including Sylhet and Chuadanga.
Our Barisal correspondent reports that pro-blockade activists exploded
several crude bombs in different parts of the city.
The police fired nine rounds of rubber bullets to disperse the activists at Port Road area in the morning. Another group of blockaders disrupted communication on the Barisal-Baufal road and ransacked five vehicles at different places of the city.
Courtesy of The Independent
