Over 500 BNP-Jamaat men held on 17th day of blockade

The countrywide indefinite transport blockade, enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, was marked by stray incidents of violence on the seventieth consecutive day on Thursday.
Besides, the second day of a 48-hour hartal, called by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of the BNP, passed off in Dhaka and Khulna divisions on the day.
Very few number of long route buses left or entered Dhaka during the blockade and hartal hours. Some launches and trains arrived at and departed from Dhaka amid schedule mess. But the volume of traffic increased a little bit in the capital comparing to vehicular movement in other cities.
More than 500 BNP-Jamaat activists were arrested from different parts of the country. Of them, 52 were detained in Pabna, 10 in Jhalakathi, 14 in Meherpur, 12 in Manikganj, 30 in Bogra, 23 in Sunamganj, 10 in Kushtia, 25 in Dinajpur, 5 in Chuadanga, 23 in Chittagong, 11 in Luxmipur, 3 in Kurigram, 2 in Sirajganj, 46 in Satkhira, 17 in Benapole, 10 in Noakhali, 44 in Sylhet and 5 in Rajshahi.
Mahbubur Rahman Bappy, 28, and Sanjit Hossain Ovi, 19, who were injured in separate bomb explosions on January 21 and 14 respectively in the city, succumbed to their injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)  early Thursday.
Bappy got his right hand's wrist blown off while two children--Bappy's niece Happy, 13, daughter of Abdul Hakim, and his neighbour Ripon, 6, son of Bachchu Miah-- suffered burn injuries in an explosion allegedly while making bombs at a house in the city's Chawkbazar area on January 21 (Wednesday afternoon).
Bappy, general secretary of BNP student front JCD's New Market unit, died around 6am while undergoing treatment at DMCH.
Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, confirmed the death.
On Wednesday, Bappy and his two relatives received severe injuries in a bomb blast on the second floor of a house on Dhakeswari Road.
Ovi, a student of Kabi Nazrul College, along with his friend Jiban, 22, suffered injuries after several crude bombs exploded near Bangabazar in the city on January 14 evening.
Ovi and Jiban along with their other friends went to Bangabazar in the evening for shopping. Ovi succumbed to his injuries at the hospital about 1:00 am, said Inspector Muzammel at DMCH police camp.   
Most of the educational institutions remained closed as Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal called strike in protest against the killing of one of its activists in a 'shootout'.
In the capital, leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir brought out a procession in Shahjadpur area about 7:30 am from where they blasted several crude bombs.
Police later dispersed the procession by chasing them and firing 15-20 rounds of bullet. BNP and Jamaat activists also brought out processions in Old Dhaka, Chawk Bazar, Bangla Bazar, Shyamoli, Khilgaon, Badda, Mouchak, Malibagh and Dhanmondi.
In Sylhet, two buses were set on fire by miscreants in Dakkhin Surma and Golapganj upazilas in the morning.
In Golapganj, miscreants set fire to a bus in Hilalpur area around 9.00am.
On information, a fire fighting unit rushed in and doused the blaze.
In Dakkhin Surma upazila, a bus was torched by miscreants in Chhirampur bypass area around 9.30am.
Earlier, a passenger was injured as miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at an express train in Gouripur upazila Wednesday night.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade from January 6 as the government did not allow her party and allies to hold protest rallies in the capital while the BNP-led alliance announced the hartal on Monday protesting the killings, 'forced disappearances, abduction' and arrest of its leaders by the government and demanding the release of detained alliance leaders and activists.
Meanwhile, several hundred members of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik League, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Projonmo League, Dhaka District Truck Covered Van Sramik Union, Sammilita Garment Sramik Union and Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad tried to march towards Khaleda's office at Gulshan-2 around 11am.
After being intercepted by police on their way to lay a siege to the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office, they threatened to go on a hunger strike if the ongoing transport blockade was not withdrawn by Saturday.
Later, they took position at Gulshan-2 crossing and staged demonstrations there chanting slogans against the ongoing blockade.
Addressing the gathering, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik League general secretary Insur Ali said, "Khaleda Zia must withdraw the blockade by Saturday. Those involved in setting fire to transports and killing people must be arrested."
Otherwise, he warned, the transport workers will begin a fast-unto-death programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club from Sunday.
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