At least four more people died in separate incidents as the countrywide indefinite transport blockade by the BNP-led 20-party alliance passed off its 18th day Friday amid stray incidents of violence, available reports said.
Very few long-route buses left or drove in Dhaka for the blockade coupled with hartal.
Some launches and trains arrived at and departed from the capital amid schedule mess, witnesses and transport operators said.
But the volume of traffic increased a little bit in the capital compared to vehicular movement in other cities.
Meanwhile, BNP and Jamaat called hartal in Bogra for Sunday and Monday, and in Chandpur Saturday, Shibir in Noakhali for Saturday and JCD in Chittagong division for Sunday, alongside the staggering countrywide blockade, in protest against arrests and killings.
At least six vehicles were torched in the capital: two buses and a covered van in front of BTV office, Abul Hotel and kitchen-market area of Rampura , three buses in TT Para of Kamalapur, Postogola and Gabtoli Terminal at the different times on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, four people died in separate incidents in Dhaka, Comilla and in Jhikargacha upazilla of Jessore.
A former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader of Luxmipur was killed in a 'gunfight' with members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Dhaka-Chittagong highway's Putia bypass in Daudkandi upazila of Comilla district early Friday.
The deceased was identified as Solaiman alias Jisan, 26, son of late Abu Bakar of Latifpur village in sadar upazila of the district.
Enamul Haque, sub-inspector of Daudkandi Police Station, said a patrol team of Rab-11 of Narayanganj gave a signal to Jisan to stop while going to Luxmipur by his motorcycle around 1:45 am.
"Defying the signal, Jisan opened fire on the RAB members, forcing them to retaliate. It triggered a gunfight," says an official account of the incident.
After a brief gunfight, Jisan's body was found lying on the spot.
Luxmipur BNP Organising Secretary Advocate Hasibur Rahman Hasib confirmed Jishan's identity as the library affairs secretary of the party's student wing.
Two people, who sustained burn injuries in separate arson attacks in Savar and Bogra, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday night and Friday.
Mozammel Haque, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said Abdur Rahim Morol, 30, succumbed to his burn injuries at the Burn Unit of the hospital around 10:30 am Friday.
Abdur Rahim, a trader and son of late Alek Morol of Sriram village in sadar upazila of Satkhira district, and his associate Saju sustained burn injuries when a group of miscreants lobbed a petrol bomb onto a goods-laden truck at Nungola in Bogra sadar upazila Thursday.
Later, they were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Abdur Rahim died.
Meanwhile, an unidentified boy who suffered burns in an arson attack on a bus in Savar Tuesday died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday night.
The 11-year-old succumbed to his burn injuries at the Burn Unit of the hospital around 10 pm, the in-charge of the DMCH police camp said.
An Awami League activist was slaughtered in Jhikargachha upazila of Jessore on Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as Humayun Kabir, a local activist of the ruling party and son of Abdul Aziz of Karimali Kundipur village in the upazila.
In Dhaka, BNP and Jamaat brought out processions in Uttara, Tejgaon, Kalyanpur, Pallabi, Demra, Jatrabari, Sutrapur and Dhanmodi at different times Friday in support of their blockade programme, aimed at pressing the government to concede to their demands-the main one is fresh polls under an interim regime.
Attackers exploded three handmade bombs at Beribadh of Mohammadpur and vandalized three vehicles on Thursday night.
In a separate incident, miscreants exploded bomb in front of Jagannath University Vice-chancellor office Friday.
In Sylhet, some miscreants hurled petrol bombs at a moving truck that led to a road accident which instantly killed a man and injured 6 other people in South Surma Upazila on Thursday midnight.
The dead is Shahjahan Mia, 30, son of Aktar Mian of Ahmedpur village in the Upazila.
In Narayanganj, crude bombs were exploded and 10 different types of vehicles vandalized in Rupganj upazila Friday.
JCD office secretary Abdus Sattar Patwary, in a press statement, said police arrested more than 150 activists of the BNP student wing on Thursday night and Friday.
Meanwhile, BNP Friday accused the government of crafting various 'evil designs' to arrest party chairperson Khaleda Zia, and threatened "dire consequences" of such an eventuality.
The former ruling party charged that the government was trying to arrest her in a bid to suppress the ongoing movement.
In a statement, BNP joint secretary-general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "The government is thinking that the 20-party's movement is likely to lose its gear if Begum Zia is arrested."
He further said the current "illegal government would have its political funeral" if it arrested Khaleda Zia as the agitators are active in the hartal and blockade programmes despite the "so-called gunfight and crossfire".
In the meantime, a mobile court in Rajshahi awarded nine leaders and activists of Jamaat, Shibir and BNP two months' imprisonment on Friday morning for their involvement in attacking trucks with petrol bombs and brickbats.
The imprisoned party leaders and activists have been identified as Tanjil (21), son of Abul Hossain, Nawab Ali(24), son of Korban Ali of Meherchandi village, Rabiul Islam Rubel (22), son of Islam Sheikh of Shastitola area, Mijanur Rahman Pappu(20), son of Fazlur Rahman of Natun Bilsimla area, Naim(18), son of Abdur Razzak and Rifat Hossain(18), son of Abul Kashem of Luxmipur-Bhatapara area, Mofizul Haque (28), son of Abdul Jalil of Imatpur area under Motihar thana, Robiul Islam Robin(40) son of Nurul Islam of Mirkamari area and Ali Hossain (50), son of Fahad Ali of Rohanpur area under Chapainawabganj district.
Mahmudur Rahman, Inspector of Boalia police station, informed that those Jamaat-Shibir-BNP "cadres" were arrested from various city areas on Thursday night for their involvement in attacking trucks and damaging and burning those.
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Four more lives lost as blockade lingers on
FE Report | Published: January 24, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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