The first day of the Opposition 18-Party alliance’s 60-hour nationwide shutdown was marred by countrywide clashes, vandalism, bomb explosions and arson.
Although it was relatively peaceful in Dhaka on Sunday, five people were killed in clashes in Faridpur, Jessore, Pabna, Bogra and Pirojpur during the general strike.
Two of them were BNP supporters, three were activists of Awami League youth affiliate Juba League and one was an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Strikers clashed with supporters of the ruling party and police in different districts like Chandpur, Satkhira, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Sirajganj, Gaibandha, Jhenaidah, Kishoreganj and Natore. The pitched battles left over 100 injured, including many policemen.
Jamaat activists slashed the tendons of a Juba League supporter’s hands at Duttaparha bazaar in Natore Sadar.
Two trains were vandalised and set on fire in Joypurhat. Stones hurled by the strikers left at least 50 passengers of those trains injured.
A storage room at Dhaka Metropolitan CMM’s Court building in the capital was gutted in fire leaving many case documents destroyed. Police suspect strikers for the fire.
Police also recovered gunpowder and 17 handmade bombs on Sunday from a staff quarter meant for Dhaka University third and fourth class employees at the capital’s Azimpur.
A strike supporter was injured while trying to throw a homemade bomb at Kakrail earlier in the day. He was admitted at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital under police custody.
Homemade bombs also exploded near the Election Commission, Parliament Building and BNP headquarters at Naya Paltan.
However, supporters of Awami League and its affiliates were also on the streets taking out processions in a bid to resist violence and sabotage in different areas including the capital.
BNP’s acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a press briefing that the shutdown was in full force across the country while ‘government agents’ were carrying out bomb attacks to thwart the Opposition’s movement.
He told reporters on Sunday, “Withdrawal of strike is not an option. We believe that strike is not an obstacle for talks.”
He said that the talks may take place after 6pm on Tuesday or on Wednesday.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia told a rally on Friday that the 60-hour strike from 6am Sunday to 6pm Tuesday would start if the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina failed to launch a dialogue on the issue.
Hasina called Khaleda over phone on Saturday evening inviting her to a dialogue over dinner at Ganabhaban on Monday and urged her to withdraw the shutdown.
But the Opposition Leader refused the invitation saying it was not possible to call off the strike and asking the Awami League President to consider talks after it ends.
Criticising the BNP move, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif on Sunday told reporters that Khaleda had ‘betrayed’ the nation by going ahead with the shutdown despite the Prime Minister’s invitation for talks.
Source: bdnews24
