At least four people were reported dead and dozens of vehicles were torched across the country during the nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike enforced by the BNP on Sunday.
Earlier, two people–a police constable and a bystander–were killed during the clashes on Saturday.
A 35-year-old local BNP leader died after falling off a building while fleeing in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area on Sunday. Local people alleged that the man tried to set a bus of Paristhan Paribahan on fire.
The deceased was identified as Abdur Rashid, the local government affairs secretary of the BNP’s Ward 30 unit.
Quoting witnesses, Mahfuzul Haque, OC of Mohammadpur police station, said Rashid tried to set a bus on fire in Mohammadpur Town Hall area during the strike. At one stage, local people chased him, forcing him to run away.
Being chased, he went to the rooftop of a building and fell from there while trying to jump to another building. Police sent the body to the local hospital morgue.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference alleged that Rashid was chased and beaten heavily by ruling party thugs. He alleged that at least 960 party men were detained throughout the country since Saturday.
A 22-year-old assistant of a bus driver was burned to death after a bus of Asim Paribahan was set on fire by miscreants in Dhaka’s Demra area early on Sunday. The incident took place at around 3am, said Saidur Rahman, sub-inspector of Demra police station.
The deceased was identified as Md Naim, 22, son of Alam Chowkidar of Barisal. Naim used to live in Demra’s Hajinagar area. The driver, identified as Robiul, 25, sustained burn injuries.
Meanwhile, journalist Rafiq Bhuiyan, who sustained injuries during Saturday’s clash between the BNP men and the police at Segunbagicha in Dhaka, passed away on Sunday afternoon.
He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Birdem General Hospital, said Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) leader M Abdullah.
Bhuiyan was on his way to Jatiya Press Club from his Madartek house on Saturday afternoon. As he reached Segunbagicha, the rickshaw carrying him overturned due to the ongoing violence and tear gas in the area. The doctors at Birdem Hospital said that he had sustained a grave head injury and was bleeding profusely.
In Lalmonirhat, an activist of Sramik League, the labour wing of the Awami League, was reportedly killed in an attack by leaders and activists of the BNP in the Mahendranagar area.
The deceased was Jahangir Hossain, 50, an activist of the Gokunda unit of Sramik League and son of Azizar Rahman of the area.
Arson attacks
More incidents of vandalism and arson were reported from Dhaka and the surrounding areas.
Miscreants set fire to a Shikar Paribahan bus at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque while a Bihanga Paribahan bus was set on fire in Tatibazar area at around 10:28am.
Three BRTC buses were vandalised at a bus counter in Dhaka’s Uttara at around 9am, police said.
A BRTC double-decker bus was set on fire on Sunday morning in Gazipur’s Tongi area. No one was injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, no long-distance buses left counters from Nabinagar during the strike on Sunday. Although, a handful of counters were open, they were not selling tickets. As a result, passengers had to endure immense suffering.
In Comilla, a local ruling party leader died of cardiac arrest during a peace rally in the city on Sunday.
Billal Hossain was the president of ward no 4 unit of AL. He was rushed to the hospital from the rally where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
In Narayanganj, at least eight people were injured in a clash between police and BNP leaders and activists. Of them, three were shot. They were identified as Wadud Sagar, Sujan and Sohel.
In Kishoreganj, BNP-Jamaat activists vandalized a car of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Itna upazila under district in the morning. At the time, police fired several rounds of teargas shells to disperse the BNP-Jamaat men.
In Manikganj, some unidentified miscreants set a Dhaka-bound passenger bus on fire at Tara Bridge area on Dhaka-Aricha highway on Sunday morning.
In Faridpur, at least five police officers were injured when they attempted to control the fire set by some miscreants at the Awami League and auto-rickshaw workers' union office early on Sunday.
In Rajshahi, a private car was set on fire by miscreants in Atghoria area of Bagha. Rafiqul Alam, additional superintendent of Rajshahi Police, confirmed the matter.
In Khulna, miscreants set the local BNP office on fire at Boikali on Sunday. Anwar Hossain, OC of Khalishpur police station, said that on information, police went to the spot and helped local fire fighting units to douse the fire.
In Chittagong, traffic remained normal on Sunday even though long-distance buses did not operate.
In Rangamati, police detained nine leaders and activists of the BNP from Manikchhari area.
In Sylhet, police detained eight members of the BNP and Jamaat including former city BNP convener Abdul Kayum Jalali Ponki. District Chhatral Dal Assistant Organizing Secretary Jewel Ahmed and South Surma Jubo dal leader Mohammad Abbas were also among those detained.
In Moulvibazar, the supporters of the BNP and Jamaat were not seen on the streets. The shops were seen open and businesses were conducted as usual. No incident of violence was reported from the district.
In Bogra, law enforcers detained at least 26 leaders and activists of the BNP. They were detained from Dupchachia and Sonatola upazilas in raids that continued from Saturday night till Sunday afternoon.
Pro-strike activists were engaged in a chase-counter chase with the supporters of the ruling party in the city. At least 20 people were injured in the process and 10 molotov cocktails were also hurled.
In Barisal, the streets were quieter than the usual and no picketers were seen on the streets.
In Jamalpur, at least 68 leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies were detained. Among the detainees is a union parishad chairman, confirmed the local police adding that the detains were made in order to prevent sabotages.
In Rangpur, police recovered nine petrol bombs from the BNP office in the city. Police suspect that the party was planning to use the bombs during the day-long strike for sabotage.
In Tangail, the local AL organized a procession that toured through the main alleys of the city. The activists chanted anti-strike slogans from the procession.
In Satkhira, buses and mini buses were seen plying the roads and businesses were open as usual. However, traffic on the main roads were lighter than usual. Supporters of the BNP and Jamaat were not seen on the streets.
Our correspondents Rashed Hasan Kajal from Faridpur, Ariful Islam Sabbir from Savar, Dulal Abdullah from Rajshahi, Md Serajul Islam from Sylhet, Saiful Islam from Moulvibazar, Nazmul Huda Nasim from Bogra, Anisur Rahman Swapan from Barisal, Liakat Ali Badal from Rangpur, Abdullah Al Numan from Tangail, Asaduzzaman Sardar from Satkhira, Bijoy Dhar from Rangamati and Mahasin Kabir from Comilla contributed to the story