One of the nine police constables wounded in a bomb attack by Opposition supporters on the vehicle they were riding in Rajshahi has died.
OC of Rajshahi’s Boalia Police Station Ziaur Rahman Zia told bdnews24.com that Siddhartha Sarker breathed his last around 9:30pm on Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.
The bomb attack had taken place around 12pm at Rajshahi’s Rajahata Loknath School intersection within half an hour after a Jamaat-e-Islami leader made a threat from an agitation rally of the 18-Party alliance.
Prior to that attack, metropolitan Jamaat unit’s Assistant Secretary Mainul Islam threatened police at the rally at the city’s Bhubon Monhon Park by daring the law enforcers to face them after taking their uniforms off.
He said, “Police will be resisted if the ‘march for democracy is obstructed.”
The Jamaat leader also threatened that there would be ‘mass explosions at intersections’ if leaders and activists of the Opposition coalition were arrested.
According to witnesses, Opposition activists were returning after taking out a procession following the rally when a handmade bomb was hurled at the police truck parked nearby.
The bomb exploded at the back of the truck and left nine police constables injured, OC Ziaur Rahman Zia said adding that the Opposition supporters had fled the scene right away.
Siddhartha was sent to Dhaka CMH as his condition deteriorated.
The others injured, constables Ananda, Touhid, Shahriar, Majid, Raihan, Rafi, Sohel and Asad were undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Rajshahi City saw a wave of violence, especially directed at police, recently during the alliance’s general strikes and nationwide blockades. Explosions caused by Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir activists blew both the wrists off a policeman on Mar 31.
Another police official was severely injured on Apr 1 after he had his head smashed with a helmet and bricks by Jamaat supporters who also snatched away his weapon.
A police vehicle was torched on Dec 2 at the city’s Court Station intersection. A policeman received bullet injuries during clashes.
Opposition activists also attacked police on Dec 10 at Binodpur Bazar near Rajshahi University and broke the leg of Motihar Police Station OC Abdul Majid.
Five other policemen were also injured in that attack.
Source: Bd news24