The BNP-led 18-party alliance’s nationwide 71-hour rail-road-waterway blockade programme ended at 5am on Friday amid widespread violent incidents, leaving 16 people dead, including a youth in the capital.
The opposition alliance had originally called a 48-hour blockade programme from 6am on Tuesday protesting the announcement of the schedule for the next general election. However, the alliance on Wednesday extended it by 23 hours.
There had been violent incidents like vandalising and torching of vehicles, clashes between blockade supporters and police and ruling party activists, arrest of opposition leaders and activists and crude bomb blasts allover the country, including the capital.
At least 15 people were killed and over 1000 were injured during the three day blockade.
Besides, over 400 vehicles were either torched or vandalised, and some 600 crude bombs blasted during the period.
The country’s rail communications also got disrupted on various routes and several trains derailed at different places following the removal of fishplates from rail tracks.
The blockaders vandalised and torched many trains and railway stations across the country.
Capital Dhaka was almost snapped from other parts of the country as no long-route bus left or entered in the city during the blockade.
Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the city streets during the period, causing immense sufferings to commuters, especially the office goers.
Meanwhile, a youth was killed and at least 16 people, including a reporter of private television ETV Susmita Sen and her mother Gita Sen, suffered burn injuries as a bus was torched in the city’s Shahbagh area on Thursday evening.
Huge law enforcers, including BGB and Rab men, guarded the city streets to avoid any untoward incident.
Addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Thursday, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that nine opposition leaders and activists were killed and over 3,000 injured during the three-day blockade.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday announced the blockade programme at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office blockade programme protesting the announcement of the schedule for the next general election.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Monday announced that the 10th parliamentary elections will be held on January 5 next.
Source: UNBConnect
