SM Mizanur Rahman :
Fresh panic gripped the people as violence during 5th day of non-stop blockade on Saturday by BNP-led 20-party alliance marked greater intensity.
Besides, targeting the railway, the blockade supporters also attacked state-run Bangladesh Television on the day.
The incidents of violence and damages were lesser on Friday than the previous days but as on Saturday blockade supporters again uprooted the railway track on the Dhaka-Chittagong route near Nangolkot railway station in Comilla district, the miscreants launched crude bomb attack targeting the state-owned BTV and petrol bombs on passenger buses at different places in capital Dhaka and elsewhere.
On Saturday Altaf Hossain, Headmaster, Bhagobanpur Government High School at Palashbari Upazila under Gaibandha district succumbed to his injuries. He was returning home in a human hauler on Friday. Jamaat-
Shibir activists launched attack on this vehicle. Altaf Hossain received serious wounds and was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where he died yesterday.
With the death of a teacher, the death toll rose to ten in the last six days.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told The New Nation on Saturday that the government is apprehending that militant attack may be launched after the end of first phase of Bishwa Ijetema that concludes today (Sunday).
“This was an act of terror and we will deal with it accordingly… whatever action is required, we will take,” Kamal said.
He said the security forces, including the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are launching an all-out offensive against the miscreants.
Meanwhile, the blockade virtually snapped communications between the capital and the rest of the country badly affecting life and taking a heavy toll on economy.
In Capital Dhaka, blockaders set fire on a passenger bus in front of Modhumita Cinema hall in Motijheel area and threw petrol bomb on another passenger bus in Tejgaon area
Talking to The New Nation a police official of Tejgaon thana said blockaders set fire on a bus in front of Tejgaon Women’s College while it was going to Karwanbazar around 7.00 am, leaving a passenger of the bus injured. The critically injured passenger was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit.Besides, the blockaders set fire on a passenger at Shahbagh crossing and exploded crude bombs in front of Awami League central party office.
According to bus passengers, two youths got on the bus from Matshya Bhaban and sat on last seats of the bus. Later they set fire on it and quickly got down before reaching the bus near Shahbagh.
As soon as the passengers saw the bus catching fire, they started jumping out of the vehicles on the road. The panic stricken female passengers cried for help. At least three passengers received wounds when they tried to get down from the bus hurriedly.
In Comilla, train movement from Chittagong to other parts of the country came to a halt blockaders uprooted the railway track on the Dhaka-Chittagong route near Nangolkot railway station in Nangolkot upazila yesterday morning.
The locomotive and a bogie of Chittagong-bound ‘Godhuli Express’ train from Dhaka derailed near Nangolkot station as the pro-blockade activists cut off three feet rail line of the route around 5.00 am. However, the train services were restored in the morning after six hours of the disruption of the rail link.
In Moulvibazar, the pro-blockade activists waylaid a passenger bus near Dhulitola under Kulaura upazila and forced the passengers to get down from the bus. Later they set fire to the bus. However, none was hurt in the fire.
In Bogra, miscreants set four vehicles on fire and vandalised scores in different parts of the district. They set ablaze a truck on the Bogra-Rangpur highway at Jhopgari suburb of the district town around 10.00pm.
In another incident, pickets set fire to a covered van at Baghopara around 12.00 noon while a truck was torched at Charmatha early Saturday.
Meanwhile, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw was set afire at Koigari in the district town early Saturday.
In Laxmipur, three auto-rickshaws were vandalised in the district bus terminal, Eiterpol and Alia Madrasah areas in the town during the blockade.
At least 17 vehicles were torched across the country as the 5th day of the nationwide indefinite transport blockade, enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, was marked by stray incidents of violence on Saturday.
In Dinajpur, blockaders set four trucks ablaze in separates places of the district.
Earlier on Friday night, a maize-laden truck was set afire in Nimnagar bus stand area in the district town. Later, a firefighting unit doused the blaze.
In Bogra, miscreants set four vehicles on fire and vandalised scores in different parts of the district.
In Moulvibazar, a bus was torched in at Dhulipara on Moulvibazar-Kulaura road in Kulaura upazila in the morning.
In Laxmipur, three auto-rickshaws were vandalised in the district bus terminal, Iterpol and Alia Madrasah areas in the town during the blockade on Saturday.
