The ongoing blockade, coupled with hartal, suddenly turned violent after evening in the capital and elsewhere, with a spate of arson attack on vehicles and crude bomb blasts, which left a television reporter with burn injuries, on Sunday.
One more victim of violence succumbed to injuries on the first day of the latest round of 72-hour hartal and the 55th day of transport blockade.
Bus passenger Bijon Gain died in Khulna Medical College Hospital after he sustained head injury as the bus came under bomb attack on the Jessore-Khulna highway Saturday night.
His death raised the death toll to 116 since the BNP-led alliance enforced the transport blockade on January 6.
Of them, 59 were killed in firebomb attacks by suspected blockade enforcers.
Private television Ekattur TV reporter Arefin Shakil and three others suffered burn injuries when a bus of Alif Paribahan came under arson attack at Banasree area at night.
The other three were – Putul and Tupma, cousins of Arefin, and a mason, Nazim.
Arefin, who sustained burn injuries on his left hand, said that he was going to Ekattur TV for night shift duty. When the bus came close to Banasree Ideal School, miscreants threw a fire bomb at it.
At least seven people were further admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with injuries from crude bomb attacks at Dhaka University, New Market and Bangabazar area, said DMCH police outpost in-charge Mozammel Haque.
At least five more passengers buses, including a state-run BRTC bus, were torched in Gulistan, Jatrabari and Paltan areas. Miscreants set fire to a stationed microbus in the city’s Dhanmondi area around 11:15 am.
No one was injured in the arson attack. A petrol bomb exploded near Gulshan-2 intersection, also without injuring anyone.
New Age correspondent quoting railway police sub-inspector Osman Gani reported that three people, including a woman and her daughter, sustained burn injuries as miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at Paharica Express near Nayapara area in Habiganj district Saturday night.
Incidents of setting fire on buses, particularly in the capital, seemingly increased in last two days ahead of and on the first day of the fresh spell of hartal.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance enforced the fresh spell 72-hour hartal from 6:00am Sunday, to press for immediate holding of a participatory and acceptable election under a non-party administration to ‘restore democracy and establish people’s voting rights’.
The alliance also announced countrywide mass processions for Sunday to reinvigorate its leaders and activists ahead of its plan to launch non-cooperation movement in March, party insiders said.
BNP and its front and associate organisations planned mass processions for Dhaka city and elsewhere.
New Age Jesssore correspondent reported that superintendent of police of Jessore, Anisur Rahman, confirmed the death of Bijon Gain, 40, son of Narayan Gain of Kultia under Dumuria upazila in Khulna.
Police said a night coach of Eagle Paribahan heading to Dhaka came under bomb attack as it reached near Nawapara Radio Transmission Centre on the Jessore-Khulna Highway around 9:30 pm on Saturday. Bijon received head injuries as he jumped off the bus soon after the attack.
Two passengers were also injured in the incident.
Police arrested Farazi Matiar Rahman, president of Abhaynagar upazila unit BNP and four others, in connection with the attack.
New Age Joypurhat correspondent reported, quoting Akkelpur thana officer-in-charge Abul Kalam Azad, that a group of miscreants riding motorbikes set fire to two buses which were parked at a bus stand in the municipality area in Akkelpur upazila around 6 am on Sunday.
Helper Ratan, 18, who was sleeping inside the bus sustained burn injuries in the attack.
According to New Age Rajshahi correspondent, a group of suspected blockade and hartal activists torched two parked buses of Hanif Paribahan through petrol bombs, at its counter at Dhaka-Rajshahi bus stand in the city at 7:30 am.
Witnesses said locals caught a man named Rinku, 26, from the spot and handed him over to police. Police shot at Rinku’s leg, witnesses said.
BNP-led alliance on Sunday demanded international investigation under UN supervision to identify and bring to trial those involved in violence, including extrajudicial killing, acts of sabotage by petrol bombs and violation of human rights.
In a press statement on behalf of the alliance, BNP joint secretary Salah Uddin Ahmed made the demand alleging the government was carrying out an attempt to brand the current mass movement as ‘terrorist and militant activity.’
In Dhaka city, life was hardly affected following fresh enforcement of hartal as all modes of transports moved on streets, defying arson attacks.
Shops and markets were open while private and government offices and business establishments functioned as usual. However, most educational institutions remained closed.
Buses left Mohakhali, Saidabad and Gabtoli inter-district bus terminals in Dhaka for outlying districts.
Most of the trains are running almost on schedule from Kamlapur railway station while ferry services remained unaffected.
New Age Bogra correspondent reported that pickets hurled a petrol bomb at a moving sand-carrying truck at Gokul in the town at noon. The truck driver and helper survived the attack. Two vehicles were damaged in the district at two in the morning by pickets.
Feni New Age correspondent reported that agitated activists of BNP damaged at least 15 vehicles in Chhagalnaiya upazila sadar as police obstructed them from bringing out a procession.
Miscreants Saturday night set fire to two gates out of 40 gates erected to greet a local lawmaker who attended a rally against sabotage on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, at Mohipal on Sunday.
New Age Jamalpur correspondent reported that police recovered eight petrol bombs from a shallow-machine at a makeshift house at village Birpakerdah under Charpakerdah union in Madarganj upazila of the district, early Sunday.
According to police sub-inspector Sumon Chakrabarty, the make-shift house belonged to Humayun, a local Chhatra Dal leader, who might be involved with it.
Our correspondent in Magura reported that miscreants set fire to a room of Magura municipality Bhaban Saturday night, which destroyed documents.
One more victim of violence succumbed to injuries on the first day of the latest round of 72-hour hartal and the 55th day of transport blockade.
Bus passenger Bijon Gain died in Khulna Medical College Hospital after he sustained head injury as the bus came under bomb attack on the Jessore-Khulna highway Saturday night.
His death raised the death toll to 116 since the BNP-led alliance enforced the transport blockade on January 6.
Of them, 59 were killed in firebomb attacks by suspected blockade enforcers.
Private television Ekattur TV reporter Arefin Shakil and three others suffered burn injuries when a bus of Alif Paribahan came under arson attack at Banasree area at night.
The other three were – Putul and Tupma, cousins of Arefin, and a mason, Nazim.
Arefin, who sustained burn injuries on his left hand, said that he was going to Ekattur TV for night shift duty. When the bus came close to Banasree Ideal School, miscreants threw a fire bomb at it.
At least seven people were further admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with injuries from crude bomb attacks at Dhaka University, New Market and Bangabazar area, said DMCH police outpost in-charge Mozammel Haque.
At least five more passengers buses, including a state-run BRTC bus, were torched in Gulistan, Jatrabari and Paltan areas. Miscreants set fire to a stationed microbus in the city’s Dhanmondi area around 11:15 am.
No one was injured in the arson attack. A petrol bomb exploded near Gulshan-2 intersection, also without injuring anyone.
New Age correspondent quoting railway police sub-inspector Osman Gani reported that three people, including a woman and her daughter, sustained burn injuries as miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at Paharica Express near Nayapara area in Habiganj district Saturday night.
Incidents of setting fire on buses, particularly in the capital, seemingly increased in last two days ahead of and on the first day of the fresh spell of hartal.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance enforced the fresh spell 72-hour hartal from 6:00am Sunday, to press for immediate holding of a participatory and acceptable election under a non-party administration to ‘restore democracy and establish people’s voting rights’.
The alliance also announced countrywide mass processions for Sunday to reinvigorate its leaders and activists ahead of its plan to launch non-cooperation movement in March, party insiders said.
BNP and its front and associate organisations planned mass processions for Dhaka city and elsewhere.
New Age Jesssore correspondent reported that superintendent of police of Jessore, Anisur Rahman, confirmed the death of Bijon Gain, 40, son of Narayan Gain of Kultia under Dumuria upazila in Khulna.
Police said a night coach of Eagle Paribahan heading to Dhaka came under bomb attack as it reached near Nawapara Radio Transmission Centre on the Jessore-Khulna Highway around 9:30 pm on Saturday. Bijon received head injuries as he jumped off the bus soon after the attack.
Two passengers were also injured in the incident.
Police arrested Farazi Matiar Rahman, president of Abhaynagar upazila unit BNP and four others, in connection with the attack.
New Age Joypurhat correspondent reported, quoting Akkelpur thana officer-in-charge Abul Kalam Azad, that a group of miscreants riding motorbikes set fire to two buses which were parked at a bus stand in the municipality area in Akkelpur upazila around 6 am on Sunday.
Helper Ratan, 18, who was sleeping inside the bus sustained burn injuries in the attack.
According to New Age Rajshahi correspondent, a group of suspected blockade and hartal activists torched two parked buses of Hanif Paribahan through petrol bombs, at its counter at Dhaka-Rajshahi bus stand in the city at 7:30 am.
Witnesses said locals caught a man named Rinku, 26, from the spot and handed him over to police. Police shot at Rinku’s leg, witnesses said.
BNP-led alliance on Sunday demanded international investigation under UN supervision to identify and bring to trial those involved in violence, including extrajudicial killing, acts of sabotage by petrol bombs and violation of human rights.
In a press statement on behalf of the alliance, BNP joint secretary Salah Uddin Ahmed made the demand alleging the government was carrying out an attempt to brand the current mass movement as ‘terrorist and militant activity.’
In Dhaka city, life was hardly affected following fresh enforcement of hartal as all modes of transports moved on streets, defying arson attacks.
Shops and markets were open while private and government offices and business establishments functioned as usual. However, most educational institutions remained closed.
Buses left Mohakhali, Saidabad and Gabtoli inter-district bus terminals in Dhaka for outlying districts.
Most of the trains are running almost on schedule from Kamlapur railway station while ferry services remained unaffected.
New Age Bogra correspondent reported that pickets hurled a petrol bomb at a moving sand-carrying truck at Gokul in the town at noon. The truck driver and helper survived the attack. Two vehicles were damaged in the district at two in the morning by pickets.
Feni New Age correspondent reported that agitated activists of BNP damaged at least 15 vehicles in Chhagalnaiya upazila sadar as police obstructed them from bringing out a procession.
Miscreants Saturday night set fire to two gates out of 40 gates erected to greet a local lawmaker who attended a rally against sabotage on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, at Mohipal on Sunday.
New Age Jamalpur correspondent reported that police recovered eight petrol bombs from a shallow-machine at a makeshift house at village Birpakerdah under Charpakerdah union in Madarganj upazila of the district, early Sunday.
According to police sub-inspector Sumon Chakrabarty, the make-shift house belonged to Humayun, a local Chhatra Dal leader, who might be involved with it.
Our correspondent in Magura reported that miscreants set fire to a room of Magura municipality Bhaban Saturday night, which destroyed documents.
Source: New Age
