At least four people were killed and many others injured as the 31st day of the countrywide indefinite blockade and last day of 108-hour hartal, called by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, passed off on Wednesday.
The hartal and blockade were also marked by stray incidents of violence, arson attacks, clashes and arrest of BNP-Jamaat activists.
Of the deceased, an unidentified man was killed in 'gunfight' with police in Dhaka, two were killed in arson attacks in Bogra while a policeman who was injured in bomb attack near Matsya Bhaban in the city earlier died in a hospital.
Two people, including a truck driver, were burned to death when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a truck on Dhaka-Rangpur Highway at Telipukur in Sadar upazila early Thursday.
The deceased were identified as truck driver Polash Hossain, 35, and his helper Imran Hossian, 25, of Shailakupa upazila in Jhenidah district.
Officer-in-charge of Bogra Sadar Police Station said the miscreants tossed the petrol bomb at the vehicle around 5:30 am, leaving Imran dead on the spot and Polash injured.
The injured driver was admitted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital from where he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Polash succumbed to his injuries on way to Dhaka around 12:30 pm.
A police constable succumbed to his burn injuries at Square Hospital in the capital after fighting for life for 20 days.
Shamim Mia, 25, who was injured in a petrol bomb attack, died Thursday afternoon, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told the FE.
Five policemen were also injured as miscreants hurled petrol bombs and crude bombs at a police vehicle near Matsya Bhaban on January 17.
A suspected miscreant was killed in a reported encounter with police in Purba Manipur area at city's Mirpur early Thursday. Identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.
Sub-inspector Muktaruzzaman of Mirpur Police Station said the incident took place when a gang of miscreants encountered a police team with exploding crude bombs about 3:20 am.
The law enforcers sprayed bullets, killing the miscreant on the spot while his aides managed to flee the scene.
Almost no picketing was seen in the capital till filing of this report at 7 pm. Presence of motorised vehicles was almost normal on city streets.
A large number of law enforcers were deployed in different parts of the capital to fend off any trouble.
At least 11 vehicles were set on fire in capital Dhaka, Dinajpur, Chandpur, Gazipur and Sylhet while five trucks vandalised in Dinajpur from Wednesday night to Thursday.
Police arrested over 450 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir from the capital and different districts, including Dinajpur, Chandpur, Pabna and Naogaon, Bogra, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, Comilla, Satkhira, Rajshahi and Lalmonirhat.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade from January 6 as the government did not allow her party and its allies to hold protest rallies in the capital and elsewhere on January 5.
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