Despite vigilance and joint drives by the law enforcement agencies, use of Molotov cocktails has been rising rapidly across the country including the capital during the 20-party’s ongoing blockade and hartal programmes.
Although those were used largely outside the capital in the last 15 days, miscreants are now using the Molotov cocktails to create panic among the Dhakaities by torching vehicles.
Meanwhile, the BNP-led alliance leaders are reportedly threatening supporters of expulsion to force them carrying out violence. The alliance has taken such initiative to take control over the streets of the capital as they had failed to do so ahead of last year’s January 5 election, intelligence sources say.
Since January 3, as many as 37 victims of political violence took treatment at the burn and plastic surgery institute of Dhaka Medical College Hospital while three of them died. Of the injured victims, 17 sustained injuries in the capital in the last four days.
At least 35 people were killed in the last 14 days of indefinite blockade. Of them, 13 died from Molotov cocktail injuries.
During this time, around 595 vehicles were set on fire and vandalised across the country. Of those, 135 vehicles were in the capital. At least 85 of those vehicles were torched.
On Saturday night, at least five policemen were injured after pickets threw Molotov cocktails at a police bus in the capital’s Matsya Bhaban area.
Around the same time, a total of nine people were injured as blockade supporters set fire to a speeding bus in the capital’s Mohammadpur Bheribadh area. Of the injured, two people have been undergoing treatment in critical condition at the burn institute.
A student of Jagannath University sustained injuries from a Molotov cocktail attack in the capital’s Rayerbagh area on Saturday noon.
Two students of Eden College received burn injuries the following day after picketers set fire to a bus using Molotov cocktails at Khamar Bari intersection on Manik Mia Avenune.
Police on Saturday night arrested a student of Mirpur Bangla College, Akram Hossain, 20, while he was trying to set a bus in the capital Gulistan area on fire.
Akram, in police custody, said he was a supporter of BNP’s student wing Chhatra Dal. Shahbagh unit Chhatra Dal President Rubel reportedly asked him to torch vehicles in Gulistan area.
When asked, Akram said he was following the command since Rubel was his leader and that he would have been expelled had he not carried out the attack. “There was nothing monetary.”
Police claim that some outsiders and supporters of the alliance had entered the capital from other districts with the Ijtema devotees during the last couple of days and were creating sabotage activities.
A high official of the police headquarters, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the BNP-Jamaat supporters of other districts had already taken shelter at different residential hotels, mess houses and slums.
Jamaat supporter Imrul Kayes, 35, who is a ward councillor from Noakhali, reportedly came to the capital as a part of a plan to carry out sabotage activities. He was killed in a gunfight with the members of DB police in front of AGB Colony of Motijheel around 3:30am on Monday.
In this regard, Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, the DB deputy commissioner, told the Dhaka Tribune that Kayes, along with some other Jamaat leaders, had been planning to conduct sabotage activities and attack on police. “When the police chased them, they opened fire. He received bullet injuries during the gunfight.”
Intelligence officials has identified several districts as vulnerable since violence and attacks with Molotov cocktails were massive in those areas since January 3. The areas are Gobindaganj and Polashbari of Gaibandha, Kansat and Shibganj area of Chapainawabganj, some bordering areas of Rangpur division, Sitakunda and Lohagora of Chittagong, Mohipal area of Feni, Lakshmipur and Noakhali districts.
Analysing the incidents, officials of RAB and police’s intelligence sections claimed that most of the pickets seen on the streets belonged to the BNP and its front organisations, mainly Chhatra Dal. However, the attacks were mainly perpetrated by the activists of Jamaat-Shibir.
Asked why the demonstrators use Molotov cocktails, intelligence officials say those are easily available and do not create a bang like the crude bombs do. Moreover, damages from Molotov cocktails, found at as cheap as Tk300, is massive.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah said there was nothing to be panicked as the police had taken measures to stop such attacks. “Police have started special drives and established nearly 200 check posts in the capital.”
Asked about conducing joint operation in the capital, he said: “We are ready and it will be conducted at any time, if needed.”
To act against secret attacks and apprehend those responsible, law enforcers as a primary step have started joint drive in the 19 violence-prone districts, dominated by BNP and Jamaat-Shibir. Members of police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh are taking part in the drives that began on Sunday.
The drive is being coordinating by the Home Ministry. A special note was circulated by the police headquarters in this regard on Sunday night.
The districts are Dhaka, Satkhira, Meherpur, Pabna, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Joypurhat, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachhari, Bogra, Feni, Laxmipur, Chittagong, Comilla, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj.
When contacted, AKM Shahidul Haque, the newly-appointed inspector general of police, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We will not tolerate any more violent activities. The pickets will face the music, no matter, how skilfully they attack and conduct sabotage activities.”