Incidents of bomb attacks, vandalism, arson and clashes escalated in several districts yesterday amid the opposition-called hartal and nonstop blockade to resist today’s “one-sided” election.
In Lalmonirhat, a ward-level leader of Swechchhasebak Dal, a wing of main opposition BNP, was killed during a clash with the ruling Awami League men at Patgram upazila. The victim was Mobarak Hossain, 38, president of Bawra union’s ward four unit.
Police and witnesses said as the traders at Shafirhat tried to open shops in the morning defying the hartal, the BNP men resisted them. They beat up several traders which resulted in the clash. At one stage, the AL men joined the traders and Mobarak was stabbed to death.
Officer-in-Charge of Patgram police station Amiruzzaman said they had dispersed the clashing men.
In another incident, a group of miscreants torched the residence of Organisational Secretary of BNP’s town unit Abdus Salam around 11pm on Friday in Saptana area.
Meanwhile, an auto-rickshaw driver sustained burn injuries in Feni when the pickets hurled crude bomb at the vehicle; in Natore, miscreants torched a train; while the ruling party men torched a BNP leader’s house in Lalmonirhat. There were incidents of clashes and attacks from processions in Dinajpur, Sirajganj and Kurigram.
On the other hand, apparently due to the prevailing tense situation, the capital witnesses fewer passengers and transports on the streets.
At least seven vehicles including a cattle-laden truck were torched in Gazipur. A bus was torched in the city’s Gabtoli.
Our Feni correspondent reports that auto-rickshaw driver Shahab Uddin, 26, came under attack in front of Central High School of the town in the afternoon. Critically injured, he was taken to a local hospital.
At least 12 passengers of Dinajpur-bound Ekata Express were injured when the BNP activists, led by district unit Jubo Dal president Saiful Islam, set fire to one of its compartments by hurling a crude bomb in Natore Railway Station yesterday morning.
The attackers also threw bricks as the train came from Dhaka. Apprehending danger, the driver left the station before its schedule.
At one stage, the agitating BNP men hurled the crude bomb on a compartment, leaving the passengers injured. Most of the commuters sustained injuries while they were trying to get down from the compartment, said Aslam Hossain, OC of Sadar police station.
The opposition activists also vandalised few shops adjacent to the station, he claimed. A Jubo League man was injured critically when the blockade supporters clashed with the law enforcers and the AL men following the train attack.
In Shaluavita Bazar, Khokshabari, Char Shoilabari, Tukra Chhongaccha and Fakirpara areas of Sirajganj sadar, the AL and the BNP-Jamaat activists vandalised at least 40 houses and shops belonging to both the party’s supporters in a fierce clash in the morning.
In Dinajpur, hartal activists vandalised three banks from the outside, two residential hotels and the rail station from a procession. They also attacked a team of Ansar.
In Pabna’s Ishwardi, at least 25 people were injured in a clash between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and the BNP-Jamaat in the morning. The opposition activists also vandalised some 50 shops and ATM booths as well as intercity train Mohanonda Express at the station.
In Bogra, several handmade bombs were hurled at a Chhatra League procession in the morning.
At least 10 people including two Rab men were injured in clashes between the pickets and the law enforcers assisted by Chhatra League activists in Jessore town and Rupdia yesterday afternoon.
The clash ensued after the blockaders damaged two vehicles of the Rab and one of police, said Reshma Sharmin, assistant superintendent of police.
Two people were injured at Daratana in Jessore town at noon as the AL-BNP men locked in clashes.
Violence rises with evening
Pickets torched seven vehicles in Chhoydana Maleker Bari under sadar upazila, Shreepur’s Beriderchala, Zoina Bazar and Kaliakoir’s Mouchak area on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur yesterday between 7pm and 7:30pm. The driver of a cattle-carrying truck was critically injured and was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
In Savar, at least 10 people were injured when the activists of Jubo Dal went on the rampage in the night, according to UNB.
Pickets in Sirajganj torched two trucks at Boalia while in Faridpur, unknown miscreants set fire to the district land office around 7pm.
At Mirpur of Kushtia, blockade supporters hurled crude bombs targeting a sand-laden truck around 7pm. The driver and the helper received burn injuries while the truck was burnt to ashes.
In Magura, pickets hurled crude bombs at a tea stall, an NGO office and an auto-rickshaw around 7pm at Bhayana intersection. They also obstructed the fire fighters dousing the fire.
The opposition supporters torched a BRTC bus parked on a school compound at Charfashion of Bhola. In the guise of passengers, pickets set fire to a human haulier on Binoykathi-Barisal road of Jhalakathi leaving its driver burnt around 8:30pm.
At Islampur bus stand of Dhamrai, pickets set a bus on fire around 7:15pm when it was waiting to pick garment workers up. The bus driver and helper sustained injuries while trying to douse the fire.
In Kurigram, four Chhatra League leaders and activists were injured in a fight with the blockaders in the morning. Police picked up two Chhatra Dal activists from the spot. L
