SM Mizanur Rahman :
The eighth day of the indefinite blockade programme for Tuesday passed off amid loss an another life, violence in some districts and collapse of railway communications across the country.
Enam Hossain, 40, was killed when a truck fell into a roadside ditch after pickets threw petrol bombs on it on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the morning.
Sumon Chandra Sheel, who was injured in the accident, said a group of blockaders hurled two petrol bombs at the Chittagong-bound truck carrying cement from Feni at BSRM Gate around 8:30am.
Besides, vandalism and torching of vehicles, clashes between blockaders and police, explosion of crude bombs also took place at different parts in capital Dhaka and elsewhere.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia asked her leaders and workers to continue the indefinite blockade until the restoration of democracy and voting rights.
“Our party Chairperson asked us to continue the blockade until the restoration of democracy and voting rights,” Rabeya Siraj, senior vice-chairman of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal told journalists after coming out BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Earlier on January 5, Khaleda Zia declared an indefinite countrywide blockade issuing a threat that the programme would continue until they come up with a fresh decision. Besides, local units of the BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday called separate daylong hartals in 10 districts of Khulna division, and also in Sylhet and Joypurhat districts for tomorrow (Thursday) while in Pabna, Rangpur and Sylhet for today (Wednesday).
Meanwhile, thousands of people got stranded in capital Dhaka and elsewhere as no long-route bus and coach left their respective terminals since January 5 fearing vandalism.
Being failed to go their respective destinations by coaches or buses people were seen rushing to the railway stations in the last eight days but they faced the worst problems as the train services across the country have severely been affected due to the nonstop blockade.
In capital Dhaka, the blockaders took out a sudden procession and exploded at least 16 crude bombs creating panic among the pedestrians and bus passengers in front of the Janata Bank in Motijheel yesterday evening.
The blockade supporters, mostly Shibir activists, also tried to vandalise and set fire to the running vehicles. A running taxicab came under arson attack and was damaged. Being informed, as police rushed to spot, the blockade supporters started pelting stones targeting the law enforcers.
The law enforcers fired several rounds of gunshots to disperse the blockaders and arrested two persons from the spot.
The blockade supporters set fire to a human hauler ‘Leguna’ in Dhanmondi area in the city yesterday morning.
The Leguna was set ablaze by blockade supporters who marched towards Dhanmondi road No. 15 from Mohammadpur bus stand at Road No. 27 intersection of Satmasjid Road around 8:30am on Tuesday.
In Noakhali, the blockade supporters poured petrol on a newspaper carrying microbus and set fire to it at Sebarhat Bazar in Senbagh upazila in the district at 6:00am yesterday. The blockaders also beat up the microbus driver and its helper.
In Kishorganj, blockaders set fire to five goods laden trucks and a private car at Kuliarchar, Kotiadi and Kishoreganj sadar in the early hours of Monday.
Police also arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in launching arson attack on trucks and private car.
In Chandpur, the blockade supporters set fire to textbooks-laden truck at Shahrasti upazila on the Chandpur-Comilla highway on Tuesday.
According to police and witnesses, a petrol bomb was hurled around 6:00am at the truck as it was passing the Baniacho area, he said.
“The textbooks-laden truck was damaged completely. The blockaders also ransacked a number of vehicles on the road,” said a police official of Shahrasti upazila
In Rajshahi, Shibir activists launched arson attack on a straw-laden truck and a Votvoti, a local made vehicle, at Charghat upazila in the district. They also threw crude bombs targeting the law enforcers.
Thousands of passengers waited on the platform, some for much longer. Incoming trains were full to the brim with passengers who had no other option for long route travel since many bus operators had suspended their services.
Talking to The New Nation on Tuesday, station manger of Kamalapur Railway Station Sitangshu Chakraborty said all trains were running behind the schedule.
“Trains on all the routes have been running behind the schedule due to the blockade and fog. But it doesn’t mean train service collapsed,” the station manager said.
Another official of Bangladesh Railway said repeated attacks on railway infrastructures during the ongoing blockade pushed rail communications to the verge of collapse
Official records show three trains were derailed injuring at least 50 passengers when the blockade supporters removed fishplates and uprooted railway track in the last few days.
“I boarded on Chittagong-bound Mahanagar Godhuli Express on Monday at about 3:00pm and I reached Chittagong city at 6:00am on Tuesday,” Probir Chowdhury told The New Nation.
Hossain Ahmed, a banker, said he went to railway station for going his village home to take part in the Namaz-e-Janaza of his grandmother in Sylhet district but he had been asked that the Sylhet-bound train would be delayed for sevenal hours.
“I couldn’t go by train. However, I reached my village home through alternative option,” he told this reporter.
