At least 326 people were injured including pedestrians and political activists in different districts of the country on the second day of the 60-hour hartal enforced by BNP-led 18 party alliance.
Hartal supporters uprooted and torched rail lines, and vandalised vehicles, shops, Awami League party offices and homes in a wave of destruction yesterday. At least 50 crude bombs exploded across the country. Police filed six cases against BNP activists for hartal-related violence.
In Lalmonirhat, at least 50 train passengers including engine driver Manik Miah were injured as pro-hartal activists uprooted a railway line, derailing a Lalmonirhat-bound passenger train near Mohendranagar station in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila. Manik Miah said a gang uprooted six to seven feet of the line and covered the place with garbage.
“The train was moving slowly so no passenger was killed,” he said.
BNP men uprooted another railway line on the Lalmonirhat- Burimari land port route in Bengal Company Gudam area, which is between Hatibandha and Paruliya station of Hatibandha upazila.
A Jamaat-e-Islami leader had his right hand hacked off from the wrist by unidentified miscreants at Courttoli area of Patgram upazila at around 10pm on Sunday night. Local police said 10-12 unidentified persons attacked Yunus Alim as he was returning home on Sunday night, chopping his hand off and fleeing.
The 48-year-old Jamaat leader, of Courttoli area in Patgram town, is the superintendent of Burimari Dakhil Madrasa and the joint secretary of Patgram upazila Jamaat.
Also, Jamaat and BNP men vandalised at least 12 shops of the Hindu community and looted goods worth Tk2m at Shafinagar Bazar in the upazila on Sunday night. Locals said there were at least 50 shops in the area but the miscreants only vandalised and looted those belonging to the Hindu community.
In Noakhali, picketers vandalised vehicles carrying newspapers on the Maijdee –Chowmohani Highway in front of Globe Factory around 6am. In Datterhat they blasted seven crude bombs.
At least seven Shibir men were injured by bullets and 15 others injured in a clash between police and BNP-Jamaat activists around 9pm in Chatkhil.
In Senbagh, BNP-Jamaat workers blocked a road around 11am and blasted 30 crude bombs.
BNP held a press conference urging the local administration to withdraw all false cases against its 300 leaders and activists.
In Satkhira, the hartal was observed without any major incident. Jamaat-Shibir men blocked a road at Kodomtoli market area by torching tyres on the street.
In Kurigram, Jamaat activists vandalised shops and the Awami League party office in Datvanga union of Rowmari upazila. Police fired 10-12 rounds of shotgun bullets. In Tangail, 15 people were injured in a clash between two groups of BNP activists in Mirzapur Upazila.
In Netrakona, anti-hartal activists vandalised at least 20 houses and 50 shops on Sunday night.
Anti-hartal activists attacked the houses of Abu Taher Talukder, the general secretary of Netrakona district BNP, at Satpai area in Netrakona town. They also damaged the homes of former Netrakona municipality ward commissioners Abul Kalam Khokon, Delwar Hossen and JCD activist Rubel.
Miscreants also vandalised the home of Shafiqul Kader Suja, the organising secretary of Netrakona district BNP at Kurpar and house of Mujibar Rahman, the president of Netrakona Sadar upazila unit BNP.
Police threw five tear gas shells to disperse a hartal procession of BNP. At least 10 BNP leaders and workers were injured. Some picketers hurled two bombs at the Deputy Commissioner’s office but no one was injured. At the same time some 19-20 crude bombs were hurled in different parts of Narsingdi town.
In Barisal, police disbursed a blockade of JCD in BM College area early in the morning. Picketers hurled three crude bombs and police fired 11 shots and arrested four from the spot.
Pro-hartal activists torched two buses belonging to Fortune Shoe Manufacturing Company on Barisal-Lakutia road near a BSCIC estate, and four auto-rickshaws at BM College, Hospital Road, Katpatty and Band Road areas of the city.
They vandalised at least four other vehicles in the city and tried to block various roads with brick-stacks and wood logs in the morning.
In Kishoreganj, at least 150 people were injured including policemen as BNP-Jamaat activists clashed with Awami League men in Bhairab, Bazitpur and Kuliarchar upazilas in the morning.
Police foiled processions of hartal supporters by charging batons and firing several rounds of rubber bullets in Bhairab, Bazitpur and Kuliarchar.
In Khulna, a police vehicle was torched and at least 15 crude bombs exploded in front of Khulna Medical College Hospital.
In Khagrachhari, Manikchhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanjida Shormin imposed section 144 from 6pm Sunday to 6pm Tuesday following clashes between Awami League and BNP men that left 10 injured on Sunday evening.
