2 killed as clashes erupt in several dists

At least two people were killed and 55 others, including students, injured in clashes involving the anti-discrimination protesters, law enforcers and ruling party activists in at least seven districts yesterday.

Police and Awami League men allegedly opened fire on the protesters in some incidents while demonstrators also vandalised government vehicles and ruling party offices.

Clashes were reported in Gazipur, Chattogram, Cumilla, Sylhet, Bogura, Jamalpur and Faridpur.

In Gazipur, a man was killed and at least nine other people were injured during a clash between police and protesters in Sreepur upazila's Mawna area.

Jahangir Alam, 45, used to make mattresses in the upazila's Channapara village.

Speaking to The Daily Star, his relative Kajal Mia said Jahangir died of bullet wounds.

"Jahangir was in a shop during a clash between police and protesters. Around 3:00pm, I learnt that Jahangir was lying on a road injured and protesters rescued him. He died on the way to hospital."

Witnesses said protesters blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Palli Bidyut area at 11:00am. Police fired shots and lobbed teargas shells around 1:30pm to disperse them.

Agitators then set fire to three police boxes at the Mawna intersection. They surrounded the Mawna Highway Police Station and set fire to several police vehicles, said the station's OC Sheikh Mahbub Morshed.

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Dr Nazmul Huda, resident medical officer at Sreepur Upazila Health Complex, said at least six injured protesters took treatment there.

In Chattogram, a shopkeeper died last night after being shot during a clash between protesters and law enforcers.

The deceased, Md Shahid, 45, a resident of the city's Chakbazar area, died of pellet injuries at Park View Hospital around 10:30pm, said hospital sources.

According to witnesses, Shahid sustained injuries during a clash between protesters and law enforcers in Bahaddarhat in the evening.

Abdul Hannan Miah, additional commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, claimed that police did not open fire there.

"We used teargas shells and truncheons to disperse the crowd."

In another incident, four people were injured in a clash between protesters and law enforcers in the port city's Bahaddarhat area around 8:00pm. Police fired shots and teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators.

The injured were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said Sub-Inspector Alauddin Talukder of the CMCH Police Camp.

In Cumilla, seven students sustained bullet injuries when a group of AL men attacked a student procession in the city's Police Lines area in the afternoon.

Witnesses said protesters started gathering on the Comilla Zilla School premises, Pubali Chattar, Police Lines, and Race Course areas since 11:00am.

AL activists attacked the students in Police Lines area around 12:45pm, triggering a clash. Both sides threw brick chunks at each other. At one stage, the ruling party men allegedly opened fire, causing panic.

Police and BGB personnel present there did not intervene, witnesses said.

Dr Fazle Rabbi, director of Comilla Medical College Hospital, said seven students were admitted to the hospital with bullet wounds.

In the district's Chandina upazila, agitators set fire to a vehicle of the upazila assistant commissioner (land) on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway around noon.

Soumya Chowdhury, the AC (land), said he escaped the attack unharmed.

In Sylhet, clashes between demonstrators and police erupted during a protest in the city's Chowhatta area around 5:00pm.

The clash began after demonstrators from a procession threw brickbats at police and attacked a police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) in Chowhatta. Law enforcers retaliated by firing stun grenades, teargas shells and shotgun rounds.

Sporadic clashes continued in the area until 7:30pm as demonstrators blasted crude bombs.

In Companiganj, Jubo League and Chhatra League activists attacked a student procession near the Upazila Parishad Complex around 12:30pm.

Demonstrators later vandalised several government offices on the complex premises. Police fired teargas and shotgun rounds to bring the situation under control.

At least 15 people, including local journalists Kabir Ahmed and Sohrab Ahmed, were injured in the incident.

In Rajshahi city, protesters set alight a police box at Vodra intersection around 1:50pm and vandalised a temporary office of the Vodra ward AL.

In Bogura, police clashed with protesters in the town's Sat Matha area in the afternoon, leaving several demonstrators injured.

Students from different educational institutions, their parents and a group of professionals gathered in Sat Matha since 2:00pm.

The clash broke out around 4:00pm, prompting police to fire teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators.

Protesters threw brickbats at police and set fire to a traffic police box there. The demonstrators and police chased and counter-chased each other until 6:00pm.

Two people received treatment at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital for rubber bullet injuries, said hospital sources.

In Barishal, protesters vandalised a traffic police box and an APBn vehicle in the city's Chaumatha area around 2:30pm, said Tanvir Arafat, deputy commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police.

In Noakhali, protesters took out a procession from Maizdi Bazar area around 2:30pm. After reaching the Town Hall intersection around two hours later, they hurled brickbats at a local AL office which was locked.

At one stage, the protesters entered the office breaking the padlock on the door, vandalised furniture and set fire to the office.

In Faridpur, at least eight protesters were injured after police allegedly fired rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades to break up a procession of students.

Students took out the procession from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College around 10:45am. They alleged that AL leaders and activists attacked the procession with sticks.

In Jamalpur town, at least 10 people were injured in clashes between protesters, police and AL men in the new high school area around 2:30pm.

In Kushtia, protesters at Islami University vandalised the office of the Chhatra League around 2:00pm.

Our district correspondents contributed to this report.