Staff Reporter :
The 15th day of nationwide non-stop blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance passed off on Tuesday amid arson attack, vandalism and clashes between the police and pickets in different parts of the country.
The woman who suffered burn injuries in a petrol bomb attack on a bus on January 14 by pickets in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur district died at the Combined Military Hospital [CMH] in the capital on Tuesday raising the toll of death to 27 during the blockade period.
In the latest arson attack, at least three people including a woman and her daughter received serious burn injuries when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a running bus in Rajshahi city in the small hours of Tuesday, our Rajshahi correspondent reported.
The injured were identified as Ambia Begum, 50, wife of Israfil Haque in Maharajpur area of Chapainawabganj, and her daughter ‘Rifat’, 17, Abu Sufian, 50, son Abul Hasan in Jhalokati district.
They were admitted to Burn Unit of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital. The petrol bomb burnt Ambia Begum’s hands and a portion of her face. Rifat has also suffered burns on her left arm.
Ambia Begum was taking ‘Rifat’, a first semester student at Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, to the capital for her test amid blockade.
The Dhaka-bound bus of Shishir Paribahan had police escort when it came under attack in front of Resham Bhaban near Bhadra Bhangripatti in the small hours of Tuesday during the on-going blockade.
The Shishir Enterprise bus was among 15 other vehicles on their way to Dhaka which had escort of BGB and police. Two other buses and a truck were just behind it. But the BGB failed to nab the attackers.
Officer-in Charge of Boalia Police Station Khandaker Noor Hossain said, “Two more passengers were injured when they tried to come out of the blazing bus in panic. The attack came just moments after they left Rajshahi terminal at midnight.”
The OC said, “The miscreants threw the petrol bomb from an alley. It smashed through the bus’s window and set fire to six seats. The mother and her daughter suffered burns immediately.”
In the capital, a bomb was exploded in the Dhaka University’s Arts Faculty building on Tuesday noon. However, none was hurt in the explosion.
Nilkhet Police Outpost SI Waheduzzaman said, “The blast occurred around in an open space between the departments of History and Mass Communication. The university staff found an unexploded hand-made bomb lying near the explosion spot.
Besides, the blockaders vandalized a passenger bus at Kuril area at around 3-30 pm. Police said a group of blockaders vandalized the bus of Suprabhat Paribahan. However, no one was reportedly injured.
In another incident, leaders and activists of Islami Chhattra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, brought out brisk procession, vandalized six to seven vehicles and exploded seven to eight cocktails at city’s Shahjadpur area on Tuesday morning.
Blockers also blasted several homemade bombs at different parts of the capital in the afternoon, creating panic among the city-dwellers.
Ctittagong Bureau reports: The miscreants hurled three crude bombs at the house of JSD MP Mainuddin Khan Badal at Sarwatoli village in Boalkhali upazila early yesterday. However, Badal was outside the house during the attack.
Meanwhile, the 36-hour hartal so enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance amid blockade is underway in a relaxed mood across in Chittagong district since yesterday morning. The shutdown is underway across Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts..
No bus on long-distance and inter-district routes either left or entered in the city. Private cars and public transports were hardly seen plying on the city thoroughfare. However, light vehicles like commuter service, tempos, auto rickshaws were seen plying as usual.
Jessore Correspondent reports: Kotwali police on Monday afternoon arrested eleven leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party for the party’s district unit office without any provocation.
The BNP men including Rafiqur Rahman Toton, vice president, district unit, Abdus Salam Azad, joint secretary were arrested just after they finished the birth anniversary of the founder of the party former president Ziaur Rahman.
Enamul Haque, Officer in-Charge, Kotwali police station told journalists that the BNP men were arrested for conspirating against the government to occupy power.
He, however, said the arrested were not wanted in any case but suspects.
Sylhet Correspondent: Police have detained 21 people including nine BNP-Jamaat activists in a special drive in the district during countrywide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Sunamganj Police Super Muhammad Harun-ur-Rashid said, The law enforcers conducted the drive in the district from Sunday evening till Monday morning,
He said, “They were detained on charges of carrying out violence. We will continue the drive to maintain law and order situation in Sunamganj.”
In another incident, the members of Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] arrested two JCD leader from Arpin Nagar Eidgah Maydan area of the town on Sunday night. The arrested were identified as district unit JCD joint convener Tofajjol Hossain, 35, and activist Nur Jalal Monti, 30.
Sunamganj Rab-9 commanding officer Maj Abdullah Al Mamun said the two JCD men were arrested on charge of their involvement in subversive activities. The arrested will be handed over to the police station concerned after interrogation, he added.
