Staff Correspondent
Dozens of people were injured in bomb attacks and police firing while several vehicles were vandalised and burned across the country on Monday during the 2nd day of the 72-hour nation-wide hartal (shutdown) on Monday.
Monday also marked the 42nd day of the indefinite transport blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance since January 6.
At least five people were injured as miscreants hurled two bombs at Gulshan-2 intersection in the capital when a group of people were on way to join a rally organised by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan.
Among the injured, one is in critical condition and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Miscreants in separate incident set a bus ablaze in Badda link road area in the city at around 4:50pm. Miscreants blasted four cocktails in front of Dhaka National Medical College on Johnson Road in city Monday evening.
Meanwhile, police detained 27 people and recovered five petrol bombs from different places in Dhaka in connections with planning subversive activities during the hartal.
Police also arrested the national award winning film actor and producer Helal Khan for unknown reasons. Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told The Daily Observer that the actor was picked up from Johnson Road in the capital on Monday afternoon. He declined to be drawn into details. Khan is a leader of BNP's affiliate Jatiyatabadi Sanskritik Sangstha.
Our Sylhet correspondent added that four people, including three members of a family suffered splinter injuries as miscreants hurled a home-made bomb at a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Sylhet city Monday afternoon.
The injured were identified as Mahbubur Rahman of Chhatak Upazila in Sunamganj, his daughter Nafisa, 8, and one-and-a-half-year old son Hafizur Rahman.
Unidentified miscreants hurled the bomb targeting the rickshaw in Mirer Maidan area at around 1:00pm, Mohammad Rahamatullah, additional deputy commissioner of police in Sylhet, told our Sylhet correspondent.
The two children were admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital while others were given primary treatment, the police official said.
Our Bogra correspondent added that miscreants riding a motorbike went to Thanthania Bus Stand area and set on fire a passenger bus of Bablu Paribahan at around 6:00am, police told our Bogra correspondent quoting witnesses.
A truck driver and his helper were injured in a petrol bomb attack on Dhaka-Bogra Highway at Shahjahanpur upazila in Bogra district on Monday night.
The injured were identified as driver Abdul Quader, 38, son of Nasim Uddin of Gopalpur village under Santhia upazila in Pabna district and helper Liton Qazi, 26, son of Ratan Qazi of Dariapur village of the same upazila.
Police and locals said miscreants tossed a petrol bomb at a Pabna-bound coal-laden truck near Fatki Bridge on the highway around 9pm, leaving Quader and Liton with burn injuries.
They were admitted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.
Besides, a bus passenger, Raton Kumar Das, suffered burn injuries while getting down from the vehicle as miscreants threw a petrol bomb at it at Khanpakutia in Ghatail upazila of Tangail district around 8:30pm.
Meanwhile, police fired eight rounds of rubber bullets when the pro-hartal activists exploded three home-made bombs there, said Gaziur Rahman, assistant superintend of police (media) in Bogra.
Our Gazipur correspondent added that Miscreants set afire to a bus in Telipara area of the district early Monday. No one was reportedly injured in the incident.
Gazipur Fire Station officer, Shahin Alam said miscreants set fire to the bus parked on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Telipara area at around 3:30am. On information, a fire-fighting unit rushed to the spot and doused the fire with the help of local people.
Meanwhile, police arrested seven leaders and activists of BNP for their alleged involvement in subversive activities from different places of the city in a drive continuing for 24 hours till Monday morning.
Our Pirojpur Correspondent added that unidentified picketers torched a bus parked at Bandaria Bus Stand in Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur at around 1:00am. None was injured in the incident.
Our Rajshahi Correspondent said that the members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in a drive recovered 11 home-made bombs from Debisingh area of Boalmari upazila early Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted the drive in the area at around 6am and recovered the crude bombs in an abandoned a shop, said Rab-5 member Golam Sarwar. The bombs might have been kept there for carrying out subversive activities, he added.
Our Chuadanga Correspondent added that police in a drive recovered 10 petrol bombs and some devices for making the bombs from Machherdari village in sadar upazila early Monday.
Our Keraniganj correspondent added that Police in a drive arrested a local BNP activist along with five petrol bombs in Nandail area of the upazila on the outskirts of the capital on Monday morning. The arrested was identified as Kalim Hossain, 50, resident of the area.
Police conducted a drive in Kalim's 3-storey building in the area around 8:30 and recovered the petrol bombs from a room on the ground floor. Later, police arrested Kalim in this connection.
Our Laxmipur correspondent added that police arrested Rakib along with a petrol bomb from the area at around 11:30pm while he was trying to hurl it at a vehicle, said Mohammad Abdullah, officer-in-charge of the Detective Branch of Laxmipur police.
Our Barisal Correspondent added that the leaders and activists of the 20-party alliance brought out procession also blasted two cocktails there.
Our Noakhali Correspondent added that the blockaders vandalized 10 vehicles, including minibus, at different areas of the district.