The fourth spell of blockade called by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance which will end at 6am today was marked with stray incidents of violence, clash, arson and vandalism in a number of districts while in the capital it was apparently relaxed yesterday.
There were fewer vehicles and commuters on the streets than normal, but more than the previous blockades.
On the other hand, police, Rab, BGB and Ansar joint forces continued their raids in several districts to nab those involved with the recent political violence. Yesterday they arrested 70 people, our correspondents reported.
A total of 115 people have died in political violence since the first spell of nationwide blockade was called on November 26 after the Election Commission announced schedules for the 10th national polls. Jamaat’s mayhem in several districts before and after the execution of their leader war criminal Quader Molla contributed to the violence heavily, raising the death toll since December 12.
Yesterday a Jubo League man Abdul Jabbar, 25, who sustained injuries in a Jamaat-Shibir attack nine days ago in Satkania upazila of Chittagong, succumbed to his injuries around 11:30am at the intensive care unit of Chittagong Holy Crescent Hospital.
Our correspondent reported that the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student organisation, Islami Chhatra Shibir, attacked Jabbar at his home in Madarbari village soon after the news spread that the Jamaat leader Molla would be executed on December 10. The attackers stabbed Jabbar indiscriminately.
Yesterday in Sathkira sadar three people including two police officers were injured when the activists of Jammat-Shibir men attacked the joint forces in the morning.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kazi Moniruzzaman was undergoing treatment at Satkhira Police Line Hospital while Md Enamul Haque, the officer-in-charge of Satkhira Sadar police station, received first aid from the hospital.
The ASP said a joint forces team that had been conducting raids in different areas of the violence-riddled district for the last three days were removing barricades put by the Jamaat-Shibir men on Alipur-Roichpur road in Roichpur area of the upazila when they were suddenly attacked.
They hurled petrol bombs, crude bombs and glass bottles towards the law enforcers. In self-defence, the law enforcers opened fire. Aminur Rahman, 40, a Jamaat activist, sustained bullet wounds and has been receiving treatment at the Satkhira Sadar Hospital.
The joint forces nabbed 40 Jamaat leaders and activists from Meherpur, two in Kurigram, six in Satkhira, seven in Lalmonirhat and 15 in Feni yesterday.
In Lalmonirhat at least 30 Awami League men were stabbed during an election campaign meeting of former state minister Motahar Hossain, the Awami League candidate for Lalmonirhat-1 constituency. The meeting, which was being held on Bawra High School premises in Patgram upazila, came under attack by Jamaat-BNP men around 5pm. The attackers also torched the stage and 40 motorcycles.
Bawra union AL president Rabiul Islam Miron said, at least 200 Jamaat-Shibir-BNP men with sharp weapons attacked the meeting. However, Bawra union BNP President Shamsul Alam and Jamaat President Mawlana Zakir Hossain denied the allegations.
Patgram police station OC Sohrab Hossain said additional police and Joint forces had been deployed at the spot immediately. They were trying to nab the attackers.
Miscreants set fire to six vehicles in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong.
Blockaders torched two trucks and vandalised five vehicles while picketing on the west side of Bangabandhu Bridge in Sirajganj’s Konabari yesterday.
Rab recovered 25 handmade bombs including 10 Molotov cocktails in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna. In Gaibandha they recovered nine bombs.
Shahjahan Ali, officer-in-charge of Kotchandpur police station in Jhenaidah, said the blockaders set the Awami league office in Kotchandpur town to fire around noon.
In Dhaka, two pedestrians Md Sohag, 26, and Azim Biswas, 30, received splinter injuries in their legs when a crude bomb exploded in Bangshal area of Old Dhaka. At least three vehicles were torched at Hatirjheel and in Old Dhaka.
Two women – Nargis Parvin and Shahnaz received burn injuries as miscreants hurled crude bombs near TSC at Dhaka University and New Market areas around 8pm. Shahnaz was admitted to the DMCH.
Jahangir Alam, driver of a CNG auto-rickshaw, was injured when blockade supporters torched his vehicle near Sadarghat around 8:30pm. He took primary treatment at the DMCH burn unit.
Apart from these, no incident of violence was reported in the city. The city dwellers faced disruption in their daily routine as businesses mostly remained closed. A large number of police and Rab teams were deployed at all the key points of the capital.