Violence marks BNP’s daylong hartal; 3 killed
Staff Reporter :
At least three persons were killed and hundreds of vehicles, including BRTC double decker passenger buses were torched and vandalized during the dawn-to-dusk hartal enforced by the BNP and Jamaat across the country on Sunday.
In Dhaka, at least two persons, including a BNP leader and bus helper, were killed and several vehicles were torched in separate incidents.
Besides, miscreants set fire to three buses in Mohammadpur, Tantibazar and Baitul Mokarram South Gate areas of the capital. The fire service said that these buses were set on fire from 9 am to 10:30 am on Sunday.
At Mohammadpu, a local BNP leader was killed after he was allegedly beaten up and thrown from an under-construction building at Mohammadpur in the capital during the nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Abdur Rashid, local government affairs secretary of Ward 30 unit of BNP.
Speaking to the media, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon Division) HM Azimul Haque said he came to know that the man set a bus on fire and rushed to the under-construction building to
escape police arrest.
“He fell from the building and died,” Azimul said, adding that the police were trying to find details.
At Demra, a helper of a bus was burned to death and its driver was injured as miscreants set a bus on fire.
The deceased has been identified as Naim, 22, son of Alam Chowkidar, hailed from Katwali police station area of Barishal.
Jahirul Islam, Officer-in-charge of Demra police station, confirmed the matter.
He said that the victim Naim and driver Robiul were sleeping inside the bus when the bus was set on fire around 3am. The body was sent to the Midford Hospital morgue for autopsy.
In Lalmonirhat, a Jubo League leader was killed and ten others injured in a clash between the activists of BNP and Awami League (AL) during the nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal at Mahendranagar in Sadar upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Jahangir Alam, an activist of Gokunda unit Jubo League and son of Azizar Rahman of the area.
Omar Farooq, officer-in-charge (OC) of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station, confirmed the news to the media.
In Bogura,at least 5 people were injured when police clashed with hartal-supporters. Detective Branch (DB) of Bogura district police allegedly fired several rounds of bullets to disperse the picketers who blocked the highway.
The incident took place at Gokul Kholarghar area on the Dhaka-Rangpur highway. The injured persons are 10-year-old Mahi, students Nayan, Raju, Awlad and Gafur. A local journalist named Sabbir Ahmed Shakil was hit by brickbats.
Bogura Sadar circle’s additional superintendent Sharafat Islam said a patrol team was sent to Sadar’s Gokul area but he does not know how many rounds of bullets were fired under what circumstance.
In Faridpur, at least five police officers were injured when they attempted to control the fire set by some miscreants at the Awami League and Auto-rickshaw Workers’ Union offices of the district on Sunday.
The miscreants bombarded the police with bricks when they arrived at the scene at night. Furthermore, in various locations within the city, several banners of the prime minister and Awami League were set on fire.
Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) MA Jalil confirmed these incidents.
In Kishoreganj, a car of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Itna upazila of the district has been vandilised on Sunday morning reportedly by BNP activists while observing hartal called by the opposition parties.
In Sirajganj,miscreants set fire to the Awami League office of Enayetpur Thana of the district. Asgar Ali Master, General Secretary of Thana Awami League, said that some furniture and important documents were burnt in the fire in the party general secretary’s room.
