SM Mizanur Rahman : A petrol bomb attack launched by the blockade supporters on a passenger bus left five people dead in Rangpur and a blockader was killed in Chittagong on Wednesday, the 9th day of the countywide indefinite blockade.With the fresh killings of five people yesterday, the death toll rose to 17 during the countrywide non-stop blockade in the last nine days. “At least four passengers including two women and a baby were brunt alive as Shibir activists hurled a petrol bomb on a Dhaka bound passenger bus in Mithapukur upazila in the early hours of Wednesday,” Abdur Razzak, superintendent of police, Rangpur district, told The New Nation yesterday.He termed the attack as deadly one saying 12 other received serious burn injuries as the bus caught fire soon after the attack. At least eight blockade supporters mostly Shibir activists were arrested from different places in the area in this connection, the superintendent of police said adding a massive crackdown has been launched to net other culprits involved in the terror attack.Rabiul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Mithapukur thana told The New Nation that out of four charred bodies, three were identified as Rahim Badsha, 32, his mother Rahima Begum 55, and Jesmin, a baby girl “The identity of another beyond recognition,” he mentioned.The injured passengers were identified Noor Jahan, Jarina, Tafuran, Farzana, Minara, Rasheda, Al Amin, Shamim, Anwar and wife and daughter of a army personnel “Noor Jahan, Jarina, Tafuran, Farzana, Minara, Rasheda, Al Amin, Shamim, Anwar and three others have been admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital while army personnel’s wife and daughter have been admitted to Combined Military Hospital,” the OC said. Describing the attack as horrible he added the condition of seven injured persons are stated to be critical. Hundreds of people, looking for their missing near and dear ones, gathered around the Rangpur Medical College Hospital where the air was thick with grief and cries of wailing, the OC Rabiul said adding the charred bodies were sent to the Rangpur Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.The passenger bus of Khalil Enterprise left Uilpur of Kurigram distric for capital Dhaka and when it was passing by Batasan area at Jaigirhat the Shibir activists launched the petrol bomb attack targeting the bus, the OC was quoted, as saying. Our Rangpur Correspondent adds the most of the injured received 60 per cent burn injuries on their bodies while five other sustained severe injuries to their respiratory organs. In another incident at Lohagara in Chittagong, Mohammad Jubayer, 20, a Shibir activist was run over by a truck when he tried to stop it in Chunti Forest Gate area of Lohagara upazila of Chittagong early Wednesday.Apart from dead incidents, sporadic violence and clashes marked the 9th day of the countrywide blockade in capital Dhaka as well elsewhere in the country. The blockaders across the country took to the streets, torched many vehicles and engaged in confrontations with the police. Police fired gunshots, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to bring the situations under control, while a number of people were injured.As the situation still remains volatile, the capital Dhaka has been all but cut off from the rest of the country for fear of violence escalations since January 5.Vandalism and torching of vehicles, clashes between blockaders and police, explosion of crude bombs were also reported from different districts in the country. In capital Dhaka, the blockade supporters set fire to a bus of Bandhan Paribahan in front of Hockey Stadium in Gulistan area while another bus of Ekushey Paribahan car came under arson attack near Dhanmondi 27. However, none was hurt in the incidents. Besides, the blockaders set fire to a private car in front of Arong Shopping mall in Asad gate area in the afternoon.The pro-blockade activists also torched vehicles at Jasimuddin Road in Uttara and in front of Mouchak Market. The pro-blockade supporters also torched two passenger buses in Nilkhet and Signboard area yesterday evening leaving one person injured. The blockaders also exploded crude bombs near Purano Paltan crossing at about 6.29 pm.Talking to The New Nation duty officer of Fire Service confirmed the incident saying a gang of miscreant set fire to a passenger bus at Signboard at about 6 pm.The injured person was identified as Andu Miah. Andu Miah received burn injuries while he passing by the Paltan area in rickshaw as blockaders exploded crude bombs in the area. As the BNP-lead 20-party alliance called nationwide hartal today (Thursday) protesting the gun attack on BNP chairperson’s adviser Reaz Rahman amid non-stop countrywide blockade programme, panic started running high among the people. Apart from these, the city commuters in the night are facing serious difficulties in returning home due to transport crisis in the last nine days.Hundreds of people are seen waiting for a long time in city’s different strategic points and bus terminals.When night appears the city wears a empty look as transports virtually go off the roads and streets. In Faridpur, the blockaders set fire to the office room of the assistant commissioner (land) in Sadar upazila in the early hours of Wednesday gutting important papers and documents. In Bogra, a gang of miscreants hurled crude bombs targeting the a bus of SA paribahan and its television building near Yakuria school intersection in the district yesterday morning.Talking to this reporter Abul Bashar, Officer-in-Charge of Bogra sadar police station said a group youths riding motorcycles threw at least five crude bombs creating panic among the people and fled the scene.In Sylhet, blockaders exploded three crude bombs targeting police in the city’s Bandarbazar while Shibir activists vandalised two CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Choukidikhi area of the city yesterday morning.In Natore, pickets torched a mini truck on the Ahammadpur Bridge in Sadar upazila in the morning.In Laxmipur, blockaders set a truck and a pickup van ablazed in Andarghar area on the Dhaka-Laxmipur highway in the morning.Leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal blocked the College Road of the town placing logs and torching tyres by pouring petrol in the morning.Three crude bombs were exploded from a procession of Jamaat-Shibir men in Dakhkhin Tehmohni of the town. Our Barisal Correspondent adds blockaders set fire to a BRTC bus at Agoiljhara area and put barricade by felling log at Tarakupi area in the city yesterday.The pro-blockade supporters also took out procession and staged demonstration at different place in the city.
