Nationwide Blockade: Arson, arrests, clash in second phase too

The first day of the BNP-Jamaat's two-day blockade was marked by clashes with police, arson and vandalism of vehicles, and detention of opposition leaders across the country.

The parties called the second phase of the countrywide blockade of roads, railways, and waterways, protesting police action on their events and arrests of activists.

The BNP claimed that its 261 leaders and activists were picked up while nine cases were filed against 1,060 identified and many unidentified party activists in 24 hours until yesterday evening.

The arrestees include party vice-chairmen air vice-marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Choudhury and Shahjahan Omar.

Arsonists torched four buses in the capital's Meradia, Banglamotor, Mirpur, and Kalyanpur. A car was set alight in Nilkhet. Five vehicles were also set on fire in Gazipur, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, and Chattogram. With those vehicles, at least 20 vehicles have been torched since Saturday evening.

In Meradia, a bus passenger suffered 28 percent burns and the bus helper minor burns. The bus lost control and hit a roadside tree following the arson attack, said police.

In Bogura, at least four activists of the BNP and its front organisations were wounded and five vehicles were vandalised during a clash with police at Telipukur.

The clash broke out when BNP activists vandalised several vehicles while a police van was escorting around 20 goods-laden vehicles to Dhaka.

As police fired teargas to disperse the troublemakers, they blasted several crude bombs, said witnesses and police.

Local BNP said their activists were hit by pellets as police used their shotguns, a claim police denied.

In the capital, police said three police personnel of Uttara West Police Station were hurt as BNP activists hurled two crude bombs at House Building area in Uttara.

Police detained Kazi Md Hasan, a former vice-president of Gazipur city unit Chhatra Dal, in connection with the incident.

Awlad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hatirjheel Police Station, said two crude bombs were thrown at police vehicles from Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover around 7:30pm yesterday.  

In Thakurgaon, two constables were hurt after BNP-Jamaat activists hurled crude bombs when the law enforcers tried to disperse pickets who obstructed traffic at Kalirhat intersection, said police.

Three demonstrators were held.

Pickets blasted crude bombs, vandalised a truck and a police vehicle in Ishwardi rail gate area of Pabna around 7:30pm, said Arbinda Sarkar, OC of Ishwardi Police Station.

Three crude bombs went off in Munshiganj town last night, said Aminul Islam, OC of Munshiganj Sadar Police Station.

The capital witnessed significantly lower traffic on the first working day of the week. Very few long-haul buses left the capital. However, rail communication was unhampered.

ARRESTS, CASES

Hours after Rab arrested Altaf Hossain, former home and commerce minister, from Tongi in a case filed over the vandalism of the chief justice's residence during BNP-police clash on October 28, he was produced before a Dhaka court.

The court rejected his bail petition and sent him to jail.

Although Rab claimed to have arrested Altaf from Tongi, Shamsuddin Dider, an official of BNP chairperson's media wing, said plainclothes DB police arrested him at his Uttara home.

A team of DB police picked up Shahjahan Omar in the capital, he added.

A Dhaka court yesterday placed him on a four-day remand in connection with a case filed over torching of vehicles in New Market area on Saturday.

Rab also arrested former Jhikargachha upazila chairman and BNP leader Sabira Nazmul Munni, 45, from Ghop area in Jashore town early yesterday in a case filed for sabotage in the district on October 31.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told a virtual press briefing yesterday that law enforcers arrested over 5,284 party leaders and activists in 122 cases across the country from October 24 until yesterday afternoon.