Following two days of respite from blockade-related fatalities, a truck helper was burnt alive in Barisal yesterday by petrol bomb-hurling pickets, who were enforcing a local hartal along with the 20-party alliance’s ongoing countrywide blockade.
Several districts, including all in the Rajshahi division, also saw hartal being staged by the alliance. Incidents of violence that injured many more were also reported from across the country, while an arson attack in the capital also saw college students getting hurt.
Yesterday’s fatality occurred at a place between Bamrail and Shanuhar in Barisal’s Wazirpur upazila, when a moving truck was set ablaze by petrol bomb-hurling pickets around 6am, said Barisal’s Superintendent of Police AKM Ehsanullah. The torched truck veered into a ditch – from where the driver managed to escape but his helper – 18-year-old Sohag – became stuck inside the driver’s cabin and was burnt to death, the SP said.
The driver – Ripon – received medical attention at the Faridpur General Hospital for mild burn injuries, reports our Barisal correspondent.
The 20-party alliance was staging a hartal in the district yesterday protesting oppression and arrest of its leaders. Meanwhile, local police also detained Sharif Taslima Kalam Poly, a reserve-seat councillor of Barisal City Corporation, on charges of plotting subversive activities.
Violence in the capital
Two students of Eden College received burn injuries when the bus they were on was attacked by arsonists in Dhaka’s Khejur Bagan near the Jatiya Sangsad.
Miscreants on a motorcycle hurled petrol bombs at a Bikalpa Paribahan bus around 1:30pm before fleeing the scene. The victims, Sharmin Akter and Sathi Akter, are first-year students of Islamic Studies under the National University and are now receiving treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Maymuna Akhter, a friend accompanying them, was also hurt while trying to get off the burning bus in a hurry, hospital sources said.
Partha Shankar Pal, resident surgeon of the DMCH burn unit, said Sharmin received 8% burn injuries on her legs while Sathi sustained 3% burn injury also on her legs. Sources said the students were heading for college and were sitting on the seats at the back of the bus when the attack took place.
Meanwhile, at least two people were injured in a crude bomb blast in Old Dhaka. One of the injured was identified as Shamsul Haque, 40, a rickshaw puller; while the identity of the other victim could be known.
Azizul Haq, officer-in-charge of Chawkbazar police station, said pickets exploded the crude bomb in front of Ashik Tower at Chawkbazar around 4pm.
Despite these sporadic incidents, no other major violence was reported in the city. Traffic movement remained moderate, while some long-route buses left the capital. Launch operation was almost normal but trains missed schedule at Kamalapur Rail Station.
Meanwhile, in a press release yesterday, the Border Guard Bangladesh said they have deployed BGB personnel at different parts of the capital in the evening to help law enforcers maintain the law and order situation in the city.
Incidents outside Dhaka
In Comilla town, at least 15 people including five policemen were injured in a clash between law enforcers, and the supporters of the Awami League and the BNP.
Police and witnesses said the clash was triggered when BNP supporters started hurling bricks at an anti-blockade procession by the Awami League in Kandirpar area around noon.
Khurshed Alam, officer-in-charge of Comilla Kotwali police station, said: “The police acted instantly when the Awami League supporters launched a counter-attack, while at least 10 people from both sides and five policemen including Sub-Inspector Salauddin and Constable Mofazzal Hossain were injured in the clash.”
The police fired around 50 blank shotgun shells, 45 rubber bullets and 20 tear gas canisters to bring the situation under control. Additional police forces have been deployed in the town to avert further violence.
Meanwhile, our Chittagong correspondent reports that a private bank official was injured in an attack allegedly by Shibir supporters in Notun Bridge area in the morning.
The victim, 52-year-old UCBL Bank official Mujibur Rahman, was attacked at 8:30am when around 20 Shibir men brought out a flash procession and pelted brick chunks at Mujibur, who was heading to work.
In Gazipur’s Sripur upazila, a bus driver suffered burns while trying to rush out of his vehicle that was set ablaze by miscreants near MC Bazar. The driver, 48-year-old Abdur Rahman, was asleep inside the stationary bus when arsonists poured petrol and torched the vehicle at around 8pm yesterday. He received burn wounds to his arms and legs.
Violence in northwestern districts
The BNP-led alliance began staging a 36-hour hartal in Rajshahi division yesterday amid sporadic incidents of violence.
Iftekhar Alam, assistant police commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said Shibir activists brought out a procession in Rajshahi city and burned car tyres on the road in front of the Rajshahi Government College around 8am. A crude bomb was also hurled at a RAB car there, but no one was hurt in the incident.
No top or mid-level BNP leaders were seen on the streets during the hartal, our Rajshahi correspondent reports.
In Bogra’s Matidali, the police arrested 10 pickets around 10:30am from the Dhaka-Rangpur Highway. Protesting the arrest, the local BNP unit said it would stage an added 12 hours of hartal in the district.
Elsewhere, Shibir and Chhatra Dal activists brought out processions at Shantirmore and Boro Indira intersections in Chapainawabganj, where the death of an alleged Chhatra Dal activist in a RAB “gunfight” prompted the hartal in the Rajshahi division.
On the Himchi Bypass Road in Joypurhat’s Puranapol area, pickets torched a truck after stopping it by puncturing its tyres with nails on the road. They also snatched Tk7,000 and a mobile phone from the owner of the goods that were on the truck. At the district’s Pachbibi area, pickets also torched a fish-laden truck.
Meanwhile, in Gaibandha, a trucker named Yasin Miah and his two assistants Masud Mia and Shahjahan Ali sustained injuries when pickets forced the truck to veer into a ditch in the morning. The pickets also vandalised two autorickshaws in the Shimultail area. In the early hours yesterday, arsonists also torched a post office at Gobindaganj upazila’s Kochasahor union.
Since January 5, blockade-related violence has claimed the lives of at least 24 people and injured scores others throughout the country.