Violence costs more life

Staff Reporter :The 19th day of the indefinite blockade programme passed off on Friday amid killing, petrol bomb attack and violence, affecting the normal life, economic activities and education across the country.Shahjahan Mia, 30, an auto-rickshaw driver was killed at Tetli Badikona in Dakkhin Surma in Sylhet sadar while Abdur Rahim Morol, 30, and Mohammad Zakir Hossain, 11, succumbed to their injuries at the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in the early hours of Friday.With the fresh death of three more people on Friday, the death toll in the last 19 days violence and arson attack during the nonstop blockade has risen to 34. Of the victims, 18 met the tragic end of their lives either arson or petrol bomb attack while 16 others were killed in clashes with the members of law enforcing agencies. The blockade supporters launched petrol bomb and arson attack on around 680 vehicles in the last 18 days. They also vandalised scores of transports during the blockade.  Besides vandalism of vehicles, clashes between blockaders and police, explosion of crude bombs also took place at different places in the country.”The auto-rickshaw driver died on the spot when a truck rammed into his vehicle after the truck driver lost control over the steering as blockaders hurled a petrol bomb on the truck,” Zedan Al Musa, Additional Commissioner, South, Sylhet told The New Nation yesterday. Like in last 18 days, violence also 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 leaving around 10 people injured and a number of vehicles damaged. Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police camp, said Abdur Rahim Morol, 30, succumbed to his burn injuries at the Burn Unit of the hospital around 10:30 am on Friday.Abdur Rahim, a trader and son of late Alek Morol of Sriram village in sadar upazila of Satkhira district, and his associate Saju sustained burn injuries when a group of miscreants hurled a petrol bomb on a goods-laden truck at Nungola in Bogra sadar upazila on Thursday.Later, they were rushed to DMCH where Abdur Rahim died.Mohammad Zakir Hossain, 11, who received serious burn injuries in an arson attack on a bus on Tuesday in Savar succumbed to his injuries at the DMCH in the early hours of Friday BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade from January 6 as the government did not allow her party and allies to hold protest rallies in the capital.In capital Dhaka, the blockade supporters hurled petrol bomb and crude bomb at about 7:15pm yesterday at Nayapaltan. But none was hurt. In another incident, the miscreants hurled petrol bomb on a human hauler leaving its one passenger, identified as Liton, 32, injured in Konapara-Katherpool area yesterday morning.A group of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, a student wing of major opposition BNP, on Friday morning took out a procession at Palashi crossing adjacent to the Dhaka University campus. However, no untoward incident took place there during the period.Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, a student wing of Jamaat took out sudden procession in Tejgaon and Uttara area in favour of blockade. In Sylhet, Naimul Haque, acting superintendent of police and Zedan Al Musa, Additional Commissioner, said besides the killing of an auto-rickshaw driver Shahjahan Mia, truck driver Kumen Das and his helper Niranjan Sinha received burn injuries during the incident. “The injured were rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital. Among them, Niranjan received 70 percent burn wounds. Our police forces along fire service men rushed to the spot, recovered the body and doused the fire,” Naimul Haque told The New Nation. Apart from these, two people, including a truck driver, suffered burn injuries when the blockade supporters launched petrol bomb attack on a Chhatak-bound truck at Lamakazi in Biswanath upazila in the early hours of Friday. Injured truck driver Al Amin and his brother Al Hasan were rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.In Hobiganj, miscreants riding on a motorbike wearing masks hurled crude bombs targeting the official residences of the two assistant superintendents of police in Tinkona Pukur area in the town on Friday.In Sirajganj, a gang of miscreants set fire to an office of Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student wing of ruling Awami League at Salonga thana on Thursday night.In Moulvibazar, the miscreants hurled petrol bomb on a truck amid police escort at Bhairab Bazar under Srimangol upazila in the district in the early hours of Friday leaving its helper Saj Uddin Ahmed Sahu, 50, seriously injured. Jalal Uddin Ahmed, assistant sub inspector of Srimangol police station said the truck escorted by police personnel left Moulvibazar on Thursday midnight. “When the truck was passing by the Bhairab Bazar, the miscreants hurled petrol bomb on it,” he said.Besides, when a Dhaka bound launch named ‘MV Mitali’ carrying passenger was plying the river Meghna near Safar Mali area in Chandpur, its one of the cabins caught fire creating panic among the people.