At least four people died and scores more were injured in hartal violence through the country on Sunday, on the first day of the opposition-called 60-hour shutdown.
Those dead were casualties of clashes through Pabna, Jessore, Bogra and Faridpur districts; two of who belonged to ruling Awami League, one of BNP and one of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
A train ‘Rupsha Express’ was torched in Joypurhat before locals doused flames quickly. The incident left at least 30 people injured.
In capital, police said 41 people were held over shutdown violence, of which, 11 were jailed for six months. At least five vehicles were vandalised and 15 more were set on fire.
The shutdown was called by BNP Chairperson and opposition chief Khaleda Zia from Friday’s rally of the 18-party alliance.
In Bogra, a BNP activist Shahjahan Ali, died in clashes between groups of BNP over who would bring out the first procession in support to the shutdown.
Bogra police Assistant Superintendent Gaziur Rahman confirmed the death to the Dhaka Tribune.
In Pabna, Julhas Uddin Mannaf, 35, died in clashes between pro-hartal and anti-hartal activists in Ishwardi upazila’s Muladuli Sheikh Para.
District Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Abu Taleb Mondal claimed the casualty as one of their own. He claimed that Julhas was shot by local Juba League and Chhatra League ‘cadres’.
Ishwardi circle Assistant Police SP Shahnur Alam admitted the casualty to the Dhaka Tribune but could not specify the reason of death.
In Jessore, opposition activists beat to death local Juba League General Secretary Alamgir Hossain Shimul, 25, in Noapara of Abhaynagar upazila. Five of his aides were left injured.
Juba League is the youth wing of ruling Awami League.
Abhaynagar police station Officer-in-charge Kazi Abdus Salek told Dhaka Tribune Alamgir, along with his party men, tried to stop a pro-shutdown procession.
In response, the Juba League leader was beaten mercilessly to death on the spot.
In Faridpur,one Maruf Sheikh, 20, identified as the local unit president of Shechwashebak Dal, BNP’s youth front, died in clashes with police in town.
Faridpur Sadar police station OC Abdul Karim confirmed the casualty.
Arson, blasts through capital
A total of 41 people were detained for hartal violence in the first day, 11 of which were jailed for six months by mobile courts, Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson Masudur Rahman said.
Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters source said of 15 incidents of arson throughout Dhaka. Six vehicles were torched in Gabtoli, two in Savar, four in Mirpur and one each in Tongi, Jatrabari and Keraniganj.
The opposition activists staged pro-hartal processions at the Nabisco intersection and in the Badda area of the capital. They also exploded several crude bombs from the processions.
Pickets blasted three crude bombs in Dhanmondi and three in Mohammadpur in the morning.
Miscreants hurled patrol bomb at Awami League’s Jatrabai unit office in early hours of the hartal. Later police and locals doused the flames.