SM Mizanur Rahman :
The railway was made a major target of Thursday vandalism as pro-blockade activists removed fishplates in two places of the country, forcing the authorities to suspend the train service for hours. The BNP-led 20-party alliance has called the non-stop blockade programme on Tuesday for holding a fresh and inclusive election.
Like in past few days, violence flared up across the country as pro-blockade activists clashed with law enforcers, exploded crude bombs, launched arson attack on goods laden trucks and passenger vehicles yesterday leaving around 100 people injured and a number of vehicles damaged.
While a group of BNP-Jamaat activists removed fishplates of the rail tracks in Joypurhat Sadar upazila another group removed fishplates of the rail tracks at Kulaura upazila under Moulvibazar district yesterday.
In Moulvibazar, at least 50 people were injured as six compartments and the engine of a Chittagong-bound train ‘Udayan Express’ from Sylhet derailed in Kulaura upazila around 3:10 after blockaders removed fishplates from the rail tracks.
In Joypurhat, rail communications on the Khulna-Rajshahi and Rajshahi-Dhaka routes remained snapped from early Thursday as blockaders removed fishplates of the rail tracks in Sadar upazila during the countrywide indefinite transport blockade.
Talking to The New Nation Railway Minister Mujibul Haque said as per the directive of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia the blockaders are carrying out sabotage activities across the country.
“As Khaleda wants to make the country unstable by creating panic, she asked her workers to unleash a reign of terror by removing fishplates and uprooting rail track. But I want to make my stand clear that we will go for tough on those who will be involved in hooliganism. The affected train and railway track and fishplate are now being repaired,” he said.
Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on Railway Ministry ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury expressed concern over sabotage at railway service accusing the Railway Ministry of not taking necessary preparation in advance to ensure security to the railway.
“Taking the lesion from the last year’s experience, the Railway Ministry should take effective steps as the BNP-led alliance announced indefinite blockade. But the ministry has failed to provide sufficient security to train services,” he told journalists at his parliament office yesterday.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and also the party spokesman on Thursday threatened to continue their ongoing blockade programme until their demand for holding a fresh and inclusive election is met.
“We will continue our blockade as long as the ongoing repression and torture on us are not stopped and democratic rights to hold rallies are not ensured,” he warned.
The third day blockade put thousands of travellers across the country in peril. Passengers of long-route buses suffered most as vehicles that hit the roads after the previous blockade got stuck at different points all over the country.
Road links between Dhaka and outlying areas remained snapped as no buses operated on long routes and trucks carrying perishable goods, particularly vegetables, got stranded at places after pro-blockade activists blocked stretches of major highways with logs since Sunday.
In the capital Dhaka, pro-blockade activists set fire on passenger buses near Nilkhet intersection, in front Bangladesh Football Federation bhaban, Motijheel Shapla Chattar and a bus of ‘Rab Rab Paribahan came under arson attack at Banasree.
However, life is almost normal in capital Dhaka as public and private establishments, including businesses and shopping malls, remained open and passenger buses, private cars, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, rickshaws and other goods-carrying vehicles created traffic tailback in some city intersections including Jatrabari, Gulistan, Motijheel, Paltan, Shahbagh, Farmgate and Mirpur areas defying the blockade.
BNP, its major rightwing partner Jamaat-e-Islami and other allies enforced the blockade protesting the government ban on holding meetings and rallies in the city.
Members of law enforcement agencies, including extra-police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalions (RAB), maintained security vigils on the city street fearing any sudden terror attack on the vehicles.
While this reporter, visiting different city streets, found educational institutions, shops and other businesses opened for their routine activities in the morning while public transport plying the city streets smoothly.
In Chapainawabganj, Jamaat-Shibir activists threw petrol bomb targeting the goods laden trucks in Shibtala area at about 11.45 am leaving its helper serious burn injured.
When contacted Al Mamun, additional superintendent of police of Chapai nawabganj district, told The New Nation that when about 80 trucks carrying imported goods, including onion and gingers, from neighbouring India crossed the Sona Masjid land port and started driving towards capital Dhaka the Jamaat-Shibir men threw petrol and crude bombs.
“Although the trucks escorted by law enforcers were moving, the Jamaat-Shibir men launched sudden attack. They threw crude bombs on at least 20 tricks and vandalised many others,” he said, adding to bring the situation under control police also fired several rounds of gunshots and rubber bullets and lobbed tear shells. Our two constables received serious burn injuries,” he said.
In Gaibandha, BNP-Jamaat activists ransacked at least 50 vehicles including passenger buses and trucks near Maheshpur BRAC crossing on Dhaka-Rangpur highway. During the period they exploded crude bombs and launched arson attack.
In Narayanganj, the activists of BNP-Jamaat poured petrol on passenger busses and set them on fire at many places of the district.
When a procession led by general secretary ATM Kamal of Narayangaj district unit of BNP was passing by Gosonagar area on Munshiganj-Narayangaj high way, another procession taken out by Jamaat-Shibir men reached the area. Later the activists of both BNP and Jamaat activists poured petrol on the highway and set it on fire. During the period they also vandalised a number of vehicles.
In Noakhali, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between cops and pro-blockade activists in the district town in the morning.
In Dohar, the blockaders set fire on a passenger bus on Latakhola Bridge in the upzila in the early hours of Thursday leaving its sleeping helper serious burn injured.
In Pirojpur, Jamaat-Shibir activists ransacked a Dhaka-bound bus at Ghosher Haat in Zianagar upazila in the morning.
In Laxmipur, the blockaders took out a sudden procession in Miah Rasta area on the Laxmipur-Ramgati Road in the district town at about 9:00am and vandalised a bus and an auto-rickshaw. They also exploded several crude bombs in the area.
In Bogra, pro-blockade activists took out a procession from Banani More in the district town and tried to go on rampage but police foiled their move.
In Khulna, at least seven people were injured in a clash between blockaders and cops when the law enforcers barred them from bringing out procession at PTI intersection of the city yesterday morning.
In Sylhet, the blockade, alongside a daylong hartal, enforced by the local unit of BNP protesting the confinement of the party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the arrest of its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, was observed peacefully in the city.
