More violence marks ‘blockade’ on 58th day

Incidents of arson attack, blasts and detention have marked the 58th day of the ongoing non-stop nationwide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20 party alliance since January 6 last.

Acts of violence caused injuries to several people in the capital and elsewhere in the country on Wednesday. The protesting alliance had extended again its strike by 48 hours from Wednesday morning to Friday morning (6:00 am).

On the day, at least four people were wounded, when unknown assailants exploded bombs at the ruling Awami League-led 14-party coalition's anti-violence rally in the capital's Hazaribagh area in the afternoon.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hazaribagh Police Station Moinul Islam confirmed the incident of explosions, saying that two crude bombs were exploded at the gathering at Hazaribagh Park at about 3:45pm when ruling party lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was on the stage.

"Luckily, the lawmaker escaped unhurt in the sabotage but four people of the coalition were injured," he said. They had already started working to hunt down the attackers.

Of the injured persons, Vice President of ward no. 22 Swechhashebak League Moktar Hossain and activists Riaz Ahmed and Mohammad Selim had been admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) with splinter wounds.

Besides, unidentified miscreants exploded three cocktails near a makeshift court at Bakshibazar Alia Madrasa of Dhaka, where the hearing in two graft cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was being held.

However, none was hurt in the blasts that went off at about 12:30pm. It caused panic among the lawyers and security officials in the sensitive area for a while.

Blasts were also reported at Siddeswari, Rampura and Old Dhaka on the day. They left at least two people wounded.

Reports of arson attack and arrest were reported from districts like Panchagarh, Kurigram, Moulvibazar, Bogra, Jessore, Rajshahi and Chandpur on the 58th day of the continuing blockade.

In Panchagarh a bus and a truck were firebombed at Bokdurjhula Bazar of Boda upazila of the district at around 4:00am, leaving four people injured.

In Moulvibazar, pro-blockade activists allegedly set fire to a bus in Bhobanigaon bus stand area of Juri Upazila in the early hours with no report of casualty in the incident.

In Rajshahi, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) recovered a bag containing 15 crude bombs in Kharkhari Bypass road area of the city in the morning.

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