At least one person was killed and more than 250 others injured in clashes yesterday, the fifth day of the 144-hour blockade enforced by the 18-party opposition alliance alongside a hartal by Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the move to execute its leader war criminal Abdul Quader Molla.
Akhtar Hossain, 50, a poultry trader of Santhia upazila of Pabna district, was killed and five others were injured as a truck, after being chased by pickets, overturned at Madhya Bhadraghat village in Kamarkhand upazila of Sirajganj district early yesterday, according to UNB.
Pickets torched and damaged over 160 vehicles, ransacked a large number of establishments and blasted several hundred bombs, while law enforcers fired around 700 gunshots and teargas canisters and arrested around 70 people.
Clips were removed from railway tracks and trees were used to blockade roads for suspending traffic movement and cutting off communication between Dhaka and the rest of the country.
In Dhaka, Jamaat-Shibir men snatched a pistol from a policeman after physically assaulting him at Shonir Akhra, while separate clashes in Badda and old parts of Dhaka also left several people injured.
Ilias Sharif, deputy commissioner of Wari division, said a pistol was snatched away from Sub-Inspector Abdul Khaleq of Kadamtoli police station near Shonir Akhra Bridge when he was on his way to his workplace on a motorcycle at around 9am.
Clashes in Badda also saw Jamaat-Shibir men exploding around 30 crude bombs and law enforcers retaliating with 20 gunshots, while a different clash in Laxmibazar left several people injured at around 8:30am.
In Cox’s Bazar, at least 10 people, including five policemen, were injured when Jamaat-Shibir activists locked into several phases of fierce gunfight with law enforcers at the town’s Bazarghata, Burmese Market, Tekpara and Kalurdokan areas. They also vandalised vehicles and business establishments during the violence.
According to witnesses, the Jamaat-Shibir men attacked law enforcers from different alleyways and behind buildings, prompting Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh to join the police, who fired over 60 rounds of bullets.
In Narail, at least 50 people, including eight policemen, were injured in a fierce clash at Ghorakhali-Dumurtola area of sadar upazila. Equipped with various sharp weapons, Jamaat-Shibir men attacked law enforcers, while police charged truncheons and fired around 80 rounds of bullets.
Acting superintendent of police, BM Nuruzzaman, confirmed the matter and said the BGB, Rab and additional police have been deployed in the area and the district town.
In Sylhet, over 50 people were injured in clashes between Jamaat-Shibir and police at
Tukerbazar on the outskirts of the city at noon, while Shibir men torched two police vehicles in the city’s Darshan Dewri and vandalised several vehicles. During the clash at Tukerbazar, police arrested 10 activists from the spot.
In Comilla, more than 15 people, including three policemen, were injured in separate clashes in Comilla sadar and Chauddagram upazilas. At least eight Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested.
In Lakshmipur, Jamaat-Shibir men injured at least eight people, including two journalists and an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League, as well as torching six motorcycles and vandalising different government offices and business establishments. Blockades were also set up on the road by felling over 200 trees.
In Tangail, over 20 passenger sustained injuries as Jamaat-Shibir cadres vandalised and torched vehicles near Bangabandhu Bridge under Basail upazila. They also vandalised 50 other vehicles as well as setting an auto-rickshaw on fire.
In Jessore, two policemen were injured in an attack carried out by blockade-supporters at Laujani under Jhikargachha upazila.
In Khulna, at least 15 Shibir activists received bullet wounds in a clash with police in Sonadanga upazila in the morning. During the clash on the Khulna-Sonadanga Road, police fired over 100 rounds of bullets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the pickets and arrested five of them.
In Rajshahi, at least 20 Shibir activists were injured with bullets in separate clashes with police in Kajla, Shalbagan, Charkhutar intersection and Bornali of the city in the morning.
In Chittagong, pro-blockade activists in separate incidents vandalised at least 10 vehicles in the district and blasted crude bombs. Police arrested 10 suspects and recovered explosives from the port city’s Jamal Khan and Boropul area.
In Jhenaidah, a number of auto-rickshaws were vandalized, while one the drivers were stabbed by the Jamaat-Shibir men at Lautala on the Kaliganj-Chuadanga highway. The Shibir men also cut off the tendons of Harindia ward unit president of Awami League, Rafiqul Islam Mandal.
In Lalmonirhat, at least 250 clips of railway tracks on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari route were removed from between the Bawra and Patgram stations at Patgram upazila. The subversive act left a Lalmonirhat-bound passenger train stranded at Patgram station, with train communications suspended since dawn.
In Natore, more than 10 Jamaat-Shibir activists were injured during a clash in the town.
