Staff Reporter :
The 68th day of indefinite blockade, alongside the first day of the fresh 72-hour nationwide hartal, called by the 20-party alliance passed off amid crude bomb explosions on Sunday.
The intensity of violence and damages, however, were lesser in the last few days than the previous days. Sudden processions and crude bomb explosions are now being taking places in different parts of the country, including capital Dhaka.
Police arrested around 91 BNP-Jamaat activists from across the country since Saturday night to Sunday evening for their alleged involvement in sabotage activities. Of them, 69 were arrested from Jessore district alone.
In Dhaka, vehicular movement was as usual as blockaders were not seen on the streets yesterday. A large number of law enforcers remained deployed in different parts of the capital to fend off any trouble.
The leaders and workers of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were not found on the city streets in favour of their ongoing programme. However, the leaders and workers of BNP were seen outside the capital.
At least six people sustained injuries as miscreants exploded crude bombs in city’s Nayapaltan, Press Club and Babu Bazar areas in the city on Sunday.
The unidentified miscreants hurled six crude bombs targeting the police deployed around the BNP’s central party office at Nayapaltan at about 11:00 am on Sunday. At least four persons, including a police constable, were injured.
Soon after the incident, police raided a building adjacent to the BNP party office and arrested three persons. They were identified as Showkat, 28, Russel, 30, and Hanif. Of them, Showkat and Russel received bullet wounds.
Besides, the miscreants launched crude bomb attack in front of Foreign Ministry near the Jatiya Press Club. A truck driver and a fruit trader sustained burn injuries in the crude bomb explosion.
Apart from these, suspect pro-hartal and blockade supporters exploded at least three crude bombs at Babu Bazar creating panic among local people as well as pedestrians at about 3:00pm.
In Bogra, police and the activists of ruling Awami League stormed the house of a Jatiyatabadi Sechchhasebak Dal leader Mizanur Rahman. However, Mizan was not in the house at that time.
As the law enforcers failed to arrest Mizanur, they along with the ruling party men started ransacking the furniture and other electronic goods, alleged Mizan’s wife Nisah Akter.
In Mymensingh, activists of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir took out a sudden procession from the Ganginarpar area and paraded some streets in the town. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, they fled the streets.
In Noakhali, activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of BNP took out a sudden procession. As soon as they took out processions, police chased them.
In Jessore, the members of law enforcing agencies yesterday raided different places of eight upazilas of the district and arrested around 69 persons. The most of the arrestees are the activists of BNP and Jamaat. In Gazipur, police arrested at least nine activists of BNP and Jamaat for their alleged involvement in sabotage activities.
In Sunamganj, police arrested Mohammad Sohel Ahmed, a joint secretary of Juba Dal unit of Sunamganj district.
In Gaibandha, three activists of Jamaat-Shibir were arrested from different places of the district on Sunday.
In Meherpur, police arrested at least nine leaders and workers of Jamaat-Shibir activists for their alleged involvement in taking preparation for committing subversive activities.
In Natore, when leaders and workers of BNP took out a procession from Aalipur area police swooped on them and started clubbing the agitators. In the face of police action, the activists of BNP fled the scene quickly.
In Nilphamari, police arrested four activists and leaders of Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal on Sunday.
