Staff Correspondent
A number of arson and bomb attacks marked the blockade on Wednesday, the 23rd day of the non-stop countrywide programme enforced by the 20-party alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for an indefinite period since January 6.
Our Correspondent from Magura adds: Criminals hurled stones at a truck and then set fire to it at Shalikha Upazila in the district. The driver of the truck was burnt badly.
Shalikha police OC Biplob Kumar Nath said that the incident occurred on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in front of Arparha College at around 4 am on Wednesday. The burnt driver Milon (40), and his assistant 'Ashraf', 28 were rushed to Jessore Medical College Hospital. Both of them hail from Benapole of Jessore.
Jessore Sadar Hospital emergency unit's doctor said to media that after first-aid, both were taken to Jessore Medical College and Hospital. Both had burns on their hands and some parts of the face. The ginger-laden truck was going to Dhaka from Benapole.
Quoting the victims, Biplob said as the truck reached the college area early in the morning, criminals started hurling stones from both sides of the road. As a result, the driver lost control and the truck turned turtle.
UNB adds: In the capital city the vehicular movement was less than normal like the other days of the blockade.
A large number of law enforcers remained deployed in different parts of the capital to fend off any trouble.
At least nine vehicles were torched and seven others vandalised on the 23nd day of the blockade.
Our Staff Correspondent continued: Two cocktails were blasted in front of the National Press Club in the capital on Wednesday noon.
Witnesses said that criminals exploded cocktails near the foot over-bridge at noon.
No one was learnt to be injured in this incident.
Bdnews24.com adds: Two activists of Jamaat-e-Islami's student front were handed over to police in Barisal when were caught after indulging in violence. Metropolitan police's Assistant Commissioner Azad Rahman said that locals nabbed the two after they hurled bombs and attempted to light a fire by petrol on the street.
The incident occured on Wednesday afternoon in the city's Kashipur area.
Both were members of Jamaat's student affiliate the Islami Chhatra Shibir and a bottle of petrol was found with them. They are Ismail Hossain and Mizanur Rahman, students of Government BM College.
Witnesses say a group of Shibir activists took out a procession in the city's Kashipur area on Wednesday afternoon and exploded at least two handmade bombs and set fire on the street after pouring petrol. "Agitated locals came out and chased them, nabbing the two even as others managed to escape. They were later handed over to the police," local resident Rafiqul Hawlader told bdnews24.com.
At least 36 persons died from violence by pro-blockade elements since Jan 5, when BNP chief Khaleda Zia called an indefinite transport blockade across the country.
Over 200 people have suffered burns from arson on vehicles.
Amid the frequent attacks on vehicles, reports are coming in from different areas of the country of locals standing up against the troublemakers and resisting them.
On Saturday, mob in Narayanganj's Fatullla caught three Shibir activists while they were hurling petrol bombs targetting a bus and handed them to the police.
UNB continued: Miscreants torched a bus and exploded five crude bombs at Gulistan, Gulshan and TSC of Dhaka University in the capital on Wednesday, the 23rd day of the countrywide indefinite transport blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Police said pickets set on fire the bus of 'Everest Paribahan' near Golap Shah Mazar in Gulistan around 7:50pm. On information, three fire-fighting units rushed in and doused the blaze. However, no one was injured in the arson attack.
Besides, miscreants exploded three crude bombs at Gulshan-1 roundabout around 7:30pm while two other bombs went off near the TSC of Dhaka University around 8:05pm.