Indo-BD train now bombed

A train on the Bangladesh-India railway now came under petrol-bomb attack while five more people died from fatal burns and in reported gunfights with security men since early hours of Sunday amid escalating political unrest.                         
In another development in cross-border communications, a transport line suspended bus service from Dhaka to Agartala in the eastern Indian state of Tripura for fear of troubles.            
Reports reaching the FE said two victims of the petrol-bomb attacks succumbed to their injuries in Rangpur and Bogra Sunday--the 34th day of the countrywide non-stop blockade coupled with latest spell of hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Besides the torching of vehicles by pickets at places across the country, the India-Bangladesh train Maitree Express came under firebomb attack in Pabna.
Three people were killed in reported encounter with police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) men in the early hours of the day.
Abul Kalam Azad, 40, who suffered critical burn injuries in Friday night's arson attack on a night-coach in Gaibandha, died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. With the latest, the death toll in Gaibandha arson carnage stood at eight.
Kalam was a day labourer by profession, from Sheesha village of Gaibandha's Sundarganj upazila.
The night bus of Napu Enterprise, with more than 50 passengers, came under the attack of arsonists at about 10:45pm Friday, leading to the tragedy.  
Over the tragic loss of lives, a case was filed in connection with the attack against 90 persons, including district BNP president Anisuzzaman Khan Babu and its Sadar upazila- unit general secretary Morshed Habib Sohel, with Gaibandha Sadar Police Station on Saturday night.
On the day, truck helper Hasib, 30, who suffered burn injuries from the firebombing of a truck in Shahjahanpur upazila of Bogra district on Saturday evening, died at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in the early hours.
Pickets allegedly lobbed petrol-bombs into the truck on Bogra-Natore highway in Rupihar area, leaving four people burnt, including the truck helper, Hasib.
They were rushed to the hospital with severe burn wounds. Of them, Hasib sustained 95 percent burns, as informed by the physicians of the hospital.
Incidents of arson, blasts and police shootouts were also reported in Dhaka, Comilla, Jessore, Pabna and Gazipur on the day that dawned with a 72-hour hartal on the back of the ongoing blockade called in protest against government actions, arrests and ultimate demand for snap polls under an interim regime.
"Unidentified persons hurled at least three firebombs at the India-Bangladesh train Maitree Express in Pabna's Iswardi in the afternoon and its engine caught fire," said one report from the area.
No major damage was done as the authorities replaced the engine and resumed its operation for Dhaka after an hour's break.
"Miscreants blasted the petrol-bombs at the engine of the train near Iswardi Rail-station, on its trip back to Dhaka from Kolkata, at around 3:00pm," said Sayedur Rahman, assistant director of Bangladesh Railways.
In a Gazipur trouble, arsonists torched three vehicles, including a covered van, at separate locations of the district in the morning on the first day of the latest spell of 72-hour countrywide general strike.
In the capital, Dhaka, a crude bomb was exploded on the ground floor of the Arts Faculty building of Dhaka University in the morning.
Police said the handmade bomb went off with a "big bang" in front of Mass Communication and Journalism Department at about 10:15am.
In another incident, Zakir Hossain, 25, received bullet wounds as police opened fire on the young man while he was fleeing after hurling a petrol bomb on a bus in the afternoon at Jatrabari in the city.
A bullet struck him in the right leg. However, no one was injured in the firebomb attack.
Meanwhile, three people, including two alleged murder suspects, were killed in separate 'shootouts" with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police personnel in Dhaka, Jessore and Comilla early Sunday.
A Fazil degree student of Kazipara Madrassa, Jasim Uddin, 23, was killed in encounter with police at Taltola in the capital in the early hours, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
One Kala Swapan, aged 27, who was reportedly wanted on at least 26 criminal charges, was killed in an encounter with the policemen in Bhatpara area of Sadar upazila (south) of Comilla at around 1:30am.
Prashanta Pal, officer-in-charge of Comilla Sadar (south) Police Station, said they detained Swapan on Saturday afternoon and then they launched a crackdown on "hidden arms based on his confessional statement".
One revolver, six rounds of bullet and a pistol were recovered from the spot.
In Jessore, Raju, 22, accused in at least six criminal cases, including a murder, was killed in a shootout while in custody with RAB in Jessore town in the early hours.
One pistol and a shooter-gun were recovered from the spot. Raju was a suspect in the killing of local Juba League leader Arnab, according to the RAB.
Meanwhile, Shyamali Paribahan of Bangladesh has suspended its bus service between Dhaka and Agartala for an indefinite period.
A UNB report said at least seven people, including six Dhaka University (DU) students, were injured in crude bomb blasts on the DU campus and Matsya Bhaban area in the city.
Campus and hospital sources said three DU students-Emdadul, 23, Tamanna Akhter, 20, and Neaz Ahmed, 22 -- suffered injuries from splinters when 2-3 crude bombs were exploded near the Central Shaheed Minar at about 6:30pm.
In another incident, three crude bombs were set off on the DUS Chattar of the TSC on the DU campus at about 6:20pm, leaving three DU students-Al Farazi, 24, Sabuj, 23, and Shampa Akhter, 19, injured.
Miscreants hurled 2-3 more crude bombs at a bus of 'Bihanga Paribahan' in the Matsya Bhaban area around 6:30pm, injuring its passenger Raqibul Islam, 32.
All the injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Earlier, miscreants exploded a crude bomb in front of the DU Mass Communication and Journalism Department at the Arts Building around 10am.
However, no one was injured in the bomb blast, nor anyone arrested in connection with the incident.
Contacted, Proctor M Amzad Ali of the university said Vice-chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique was delivering his lecture in a classroom of the department when the crude bomb went off.
Miscreants hurled the crude bomb targeting the VC as they knew beforehand that he was taking the class, the DU Proctor added.
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