Police pick up Jubo Dal activist Suman, who was hit by bullets when the law enforcers opened fire in Kalibari intersection area of Chandpur town Wednesday. Photo: Star
At least seven people were killed and 30 injured as violence flared up across the country centring blockade today.
Two deaths were reported from Chittagong and Chandpur each while three from Satkhira.
The victims were identified as a covered van driver, a Juba League activist, two BNP men and two activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, report our correspondents.
Twenty-two-year old Shibir man, Shariful Islam, was killed when police opened fire on Jamaat-Shibir men who were vandalising vehicles on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong around 12midnight, said Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Police Station.
Covered van driver Mahbub Alam, 23, was killed when he lost his control over steering and hit a roadside banyan tree as blockaders hurled several petrol bombs on his vehicle in EPZ area of Chittagong around 1:40am, said Alamgir Hossain, a sub-inspector (SI) of EPZ Police Station.
The petrol bombs ensued a fire on the vehicle, leaving two people injured, the SI said.
Two Shibir activists were killed and around 20 injured as law enforcers opened fire at Jamaat-Shibir men pelting brick chunks at the lawmen in separate incidents in Debhata upazila of Satkhira in the morning.
Later in the afternoon, the Jamaat-Shibir activists killed an activist of Juba League, the youth front of ruling Awami League, in Satkhira.
Another Shibir activist, Hossain Ali, 17, was killed as police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members, after being attacked by Jamaat-Shibir men, fired bullets in Debhata upazila of Satkhira around 7:00am.
Two BNP men–Siam, 14, Ratan, 25,–were killed and five bullet-hit as police spread bullets on the party men when they hurled a crude bomb on them around 10:30am in Kalibari area of Chandpur town.
Locals said Siam was a class VIII student of Al-Amin Academia.
The casualties were reported on the fourth day of the BNP-led 18-party opposition combine-sponsored 131-hour countrywide blockade of roads, rail and waterways.
So far, 14 people have been killed during the ongoing blockade.
In the 71-hour blockade called by the opposition alliance last week, 20 more people were killed in different instances of violence.
The total death toll from January to November in this year stands at 290.
CHITTAGONG
Shibir man Shariful died on the spot was killed when police sprayed bullets on Jamaat-Shibir men as they were vandalising vehicles on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Barobkunda Sitakunda in the midnight, OC Aminul said.
Locals however claimed that Shariful was vice-president of Swechhasebok Dal of Muradpur union unit in the upazila.
Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised at least four vehicles there, the police official said.
In another incident, a covered van hit a banyan tree as its driver Mahbub lost control over the steering when pro-blockade activists hurled several petrol bombs targeting the vehicle at Cement Crossing of the EPZ area around 1:40am, said Alamgir Hossain, a sub-inspector of EPZ Police Station.
Mahbub died on the spot while helpers Mijan, 20, and Suman Das, 38, received burn injuries, the SI added.
The injured helpers are now undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital.
CHANDPUR
Two BNP activists were killed and at least five hit by bullets as police opened fire on the party activists, who hurled a handmade bomb on the law enforcers at Kalibari in the town this morning.
The activists of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession in the morning in support of their blockade programme.
As they reached at Kalibari, police resisted them around 10:30am, said Mahbub Rahman, officer-in-charge of Chandpur Model Police Station.
In face of the resistance, the activists hurled a cocktail targeting police, which prompted them to open fire, the OC said.
Siam and Ratan succumbed to their injuries after they were rushed to Chandpur General Hospital.
The bullet-hit injured persons, including Jubo Dal activists Suman, were undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
Confirming the two dead victims as party activists, Sheikh Farid Ahmed, general secretary of district BNP, claimed that police opened fire on their peaceful procession without any provocation.
SATKHIRA
Hossain Ali, 14, a Shibir activist, was killed when police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members opened fire at blockaders at Sakhipur intersection in Debhata upazila.
Ali was a student of Parulia Qawmi madrasa.
The clash ensued when law enforcers tried to clear the blockades put by Jamaat-Shibir men on the Satkhira-Kaliganj highway around 7:00am.
The activists hurled brick chunks at the law enforcers, prompting the police and BGB men to fire several rounds of bullets.
Meanwhile, another Shibir activist, Arizul Islam, died on the spot when law enforcers opened fire at the opposition activists in Garanbaria area of the upazila around 8:30pm.
Arizul was a Class-IX student of HadipurHigh School.
Around, 20 Jamaat-Shibir activists were injured in the clashes.
Talking to The Daily Star, Azizur Rahman, publicity secretary of Jamaat district unit, said two the Shibir activists were killed in the firing by police and BGB men.
Giasuddin, 30, a Juba League activist, was beaten to death by Jamaat-Shibir men in Talbari area around 4:30pm.
The opposition activists attacked Giasuddin when he was returning home from Satkhira Sadar with his friend on a motorcycle.
He was given a good beating while his friend managed to escape. Giasuddin died on the spot, said Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Satkhira Police Station.
Source: Bd news24
