Hefazat-e-Islam activists went on a rampage in Brahmanbaria town on Sunday during their nationwide strike, storming multiple government and private offices and clashing with police — which left three men dead.
One 40-year-old unidentified male died of gunshot wound at the Brahmanbaria General Hospital around 3pm, confirmed duty doctor at emergency department Dr Syed Ariful Islam.
Earlier, Hadis Miah, 23, of Khatihata village under Budhol union of Sadar upazila and Al Amin, 12, son of Sufi Ali, of Kuttapara village of Sadar upazila, died of gunshot injuries around 2pm, confirmed Dr Showkat Hossain, the supervisor of Brahmanbaria General Hospital.
Police were yet to confirm the third death.
With their passing on Sunday afternoon, the death toll from clashes in the district over the last three days rose to 10.
During Sunday’s strike, Hefazat men charged the offices of the district administration, local Awami League unit, press club and municipality, and set fire to the Brahmanbaria Sadar land office and Ustad Alauddin Khan Music Academy, according to reports.
Brahmanbaria Press Club President Riaz Uddin Jami sustained injuries during their onslaught. At least 25 newsmen were inside the press club when the hartal supporters stormed it. Jami was taken to a local hospital later.
The hard-line Islamist group on Friday called the dawn-to-dusk hartal for Sunday, to protest the deaths of its activists in Chittagong and Brahmanbaria who were demonstrating against Indian Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s Bangladesh visit.
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Hefazat men ran riot in several other areas of the country, including Dhaka and Narayanganj, from the onset of the hartal.
They threw stones at a Chittagong-bound train, forcing authorities to halt rail communication on Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet routes.
Two buses in Rajshahi and an electric pole in Brahmanbaria were set ablaze by them as well.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Hefazat leaders and activists took positions at different spots with bamboo sticks. Some Awami League activists were chased away by them in the Paltan area.
They also blockaded Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong highways, torched vehicles and clashed with law enforcers.
Earlier on Saturday, five people were killed and several others injured when demonstrators protesting Modi’s Bangladesh visit clashed with law enforcement personnel in Brahmanbaria.
The death toll from that clash reached six on Sunday when another Hefazat activist succumbed to his injuries.
Nurul Amin, 22, died while undergoing treatment at Brahmanbaria General Hospital in the afternoon, confirmed Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, the physician on duty at the hospital's emergency department.
Additional reporting by Masud Alam, Comilla
