HARTAL OVER GHULAM AZAM VERDICT 2 killed in Gazipur, Dinajpur hartal violence

13 including Banglavision cameraman hurt

Jamaat-Shibir pickets set fire to a bus in Gazipur during the countrywide daylong hartal (shutdown) on Tuesday. Photo: Star

Jamaat-Shibir pickets set fire to a bus in Gazipur during the countrywide daylong hartal (shutdown) on Tuesday.

Two including a nine-year-old girl were killed in separate incidents of picketing in Gazipur and Dinajpur Tuesday during the countrywide daylong hartal (shutdown).

Chased by pickets, a bus ran over Nadia Sultana while she was standing beside the road at Chandona intersection on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur, reported our correspondent.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Abdul Kuddus, 60, was killed when pickets hurled brick chips on him at Ranirbandar area in Dinajpur’s Chirirbandar upazila, according to our Dinajpur correspondent.

The shutdown, which was called separately by Jamaat-e-Islami and Gonojagoron Mancha, progressed amid arson, blasts, vandalism and protest rallies across the country.

Gonojagoron Mancha, have called the shutdown demanding capital punishment to former Jamaat ameer Ghulam Azam while Jamaat enforced the shutdown for the release of its former chief.

At least 13 people including a cameraman of private television channel Banglavision sustained injuries in separate incidents in Gazipur, Chittagong and Dinajpur.

Activists of Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, blasted 11 homemade bombs in Chittagong, nine in Comilla and one in Narayanganj.

They also torched one each minibus in Chittagong and Narayanganj.

The pickets vandalised six vehicles each in Narayanganj and Comilla and five others in Barisal

GAZIPUR

Nadia Sultana died when the bus, chased by Jamaat-Shibir pickets, crushed her at Chandona intersection.

The accident occurred around 1:00pm as the bus driver tried to evade the marauding party activists and lost control over steering.

At least 10 people were injured when the hartal activists torched two buses and vandalised five vehicles at the intersection.

The bus driver of one of the buses also sustained serious injuries when his vehicle was set alight.

He was at first whisked off to Gazipur Sadar Hospital.

Later, he was shifted to DhakaMedicalCollege and Hospital.

Police picked up Sohel Rana, a Jamaat activist, from the spot for his alleged involvement with the arson, reported our correspondent quoting Md Zahid Hossain, officer-in-charge of Joydebpur Police Station.

DINAJPUR

A bus driver was killed and two people received serious injuries in separate incidents during hartal hours in Dinajpur.

Abdul Kuddus came under attack by pro-hartal activists at Ranirbandar area in Chirirbandar upazila while he was going by a rickshaw-van to Ranirbandar defying the hartal.

Seriously injured Kuddus was rushed to Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 11:00am, reports our local correspondent quoting Mohammad Sarwar Murshid Shamim, superintendent of police of Dinajpur.

In a separate incident, Hasan Ali, 36, driver of a lorry and his helper whose name could not be known immediately, received critical injuries as the speedy vehicle, chased by Jamaat-Shibir activists, plunged into a roadside ditch at the same area.

The injured were rushed to Saidpur Upazila Health Complex, the superintendent added.

CHITTAGONG

Ismail Hossain Palash, a cameraman of private television channel Banglavision, was injured when Jamaat-Shibir men blasted at least seven crude bombs in Badurtola area of the port city around 8:00am.

Palash was admitted to a local hospital with splinter injuries, reported our Chittagong correspondent.

Jamaat-Shibir men set fire to a minibus in Patenga are in the morning, said Sahabuddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Patenga Police Station.

The party men also exploded four cocktails in Kajirdeuri area around 9:00am.

Meanwhile, the activists of Gonojagoron Mancha staged demonstration and brought out a procession at Jamalkhan area in the city around 7:00am.

NARAYANGANJ

Jamaat-Shibir pickets torched a bus and vandalised six vehicles on Dhaka-Narayanganj link road in Siddirganj upazila of the city around 8:00am.

The pickets fled the scene blasting a hand bomb when law enforcers fired 10 rounds of blank shots to disperse them, said Abdul Matin, officer-in-charge of Siddirganj Police Station.

Meanwhile, the activists of Gonojagoron Mancho also held rally in the city demanding capital punishment to Ghulam Azam.

COMILLA

Jamaat-Shibir pickets exploded nine cocktails at TamsamBridge area in the city around 8:30am, said Mohiuddin Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.

The party men also vandalised at least six vehicles in Chouddagram upazila of the district.

Law enforcers picked up 13 Jamaat-Shibir men including the city unit Shibir secretary and Daudkandi upazila unit Jamaat ameer from different areas in connection with creating anarchy during hartal hours.

BARISAL

Jamaat-Shibir activists vandalised at least five vehicles at different areas in the city, said Sakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station.

The activists of Gonojagoron Mancho brought out a procession and staged demonstration in the city.

Source: The Daily Star