Widespread violence, clashes, vandalism and huge crude bomb blasts marked the second day of the 60-hour countrywide shutdown enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, killing at least six people.
The six people — a teenage boy, a truck driver, an Awami League supporter, a BNP leader, one Jubo Dal leader and a BNP activist were killed in violence in Chandpur, Jamalpur, Chittagong, Jhenidah, Tangail and Kishoreganj districts during the hartal hours till 6pm on Monday.
With the killing of six people on the second day, the death toll from the 36-hours hartal violence climbed to 11 as 5 people were killed on Sunday hartal hours.
The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance enforced the nonstop 60-hour countrywide hartal at 6:00am on Sunday demanding formation of a non-party polls-time cabinet. This general strike will end at 6pm on Tuesday.
According to reports reaching the UNB news desk, teenage boy Arju, 15, was shot dead at Puran Bazar in Chandpur town while AL supporter Shahjada, 40, was killed in a clash with pickets at Rambhadra Bazar under Islampur upazila in Jamalpur, truck diver Mohammad Wasim, 30, was killed as his vehicle plunged into a roadside ditch after being chased by a group of pickets at Satkania upazila in Chittagong.
Besides, Harinakunda upazila unit BNP president was chopped to death allegedly by some unidentified miscreants at Dakhalpur Bazar in Jhenidah, Jubo Dal leader Abdul Alim, 30, was killed in a clash between two factions of BNP at Hatubhanga under Mirzapur upazila in Tangail and BNP activist Hossain Arif ,35, was shot dead in police firing at Kuliarchar in Kishoreganj.
Meanwhile, at least 60 vehicles were damaged, several hundred crude bombs blasted and around 600 people injured across the country. The law enforcers also arrested over 180 opposition activists during hartal hours on the 2nd day.
Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman told UNB that 58 people were arrested for their involvement in hartal violence in the capital and 20 of them were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment.
The incidents of chases and counter-chases between police and hartal supporters and clashes were reported in many parts of the city, including Badda Link Road, Rampura Bazar, Khilkhet and Mirpur, Mohakhali, Dania, Bangsal, Pallabi, Karwanbazar, FDC Gate, Shanir Akhra, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Tejgaon areas.
Pro-hartal activists also blasted over a hundred crude bombs at different parts of the capital from 6am to 7pm on Monday, creating panic among the city dwellers.
Educational institutions and most shopping malls remained closed, but government and non-government offices in the capital were open with thin attendance.
Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the city streets during hartal hours as there was a few number of motorised vehicles available for the city commuters. No long-route bus left Mohakhali, Saydabad and Gabtoli terminals since the morning fearing vandalism.
Huge law enforcers guarded the city streets to avoid any untoward incident.
A large number of law enforcers were deployed in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Violent incidents like vandalising and torching of vehicles, clashes between hartal pickets and police and ruling party activists, arrest of opposition leaders and activists and crude bomb blasts were also reported from a number of districts, including Kushtia, Comilla, Naogaon, Gazipur, Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj, Joypurhat, Tangail, Dinajpur, Satkhira, Noakhali, Khulna, Khagrachhari, Rajshahi, Tangail, Chandpur, Savar, Lalmonirhat, Chittagong, Kishoreganj, Sirajganj, Barguna and Pabna.
In Khulna, police filed a case against 62 identified and 400-500 unidentified people in connection with Sunday’s violence.
Meanwhile, addressing at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office about the second-day of hartal, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said police arrested over 700 opposition activists across the country while more than 2,500 were injured in attacks by law enforcers and ‘ruling party cadres’.
Over 17,000 opposition men were implicated in fresh ‘false’ cases and 12 activists sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by mobile courts, he further claimed.
As of Monday evening, 15 opposition leaders and activist were killed and 5,100 injured by law enforcers and ruling party men since October 25, Fakhrul noted.
Source: UNB Connect
