Bangladesh News

The entire country came to a grinding halt yesterday as Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition resumed an indefinite blockade for the third time amid noticeable support from people for reconstitution of the Election Commission.
At least 150 people were injured, including 50 with bullet wounds, in gunfights between 14-party and BNP activists over capturing streets in Natore town.

Clashes between the rival political activists in Sirajganj and Bagerhat saw 24 people injured.

Otherwise the blockade passed peacefully elsewhere in the country yesterday with an increase in the number of blockaders on the streets.

General population seemed to be more or less in agreement with the blockaders all over the country, making it easier for them to enforce it rather peacefully.

AL-led 14-party joined by Jatiya Oikya Front comprising Liberal Democratic Front (LDP), Jatiya Oikya Mancha and Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, resumed the blockade yesterday demanding reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) as the third deadline for President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed to meet its 11-point demand ended on Sunday.

Rail communication across the country, particularly in the western zone, came to a halt due to the blockade, according to railway sources. Although some trains on Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet routes in the eastern zone operated, seven of them were stranded due to barricades at Satkhamar, Manikkhali, Sarishabari and Gouripur stations.

Blockaders also put up barricades in Khulna, Abdullahpur, Dinajpur, Syedpur, Shantahar, and Tista rail stations.

Only a few launches left Sadarghat Launch Terminal in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Stock Exchange defied the political drama as share prices posted significant gains yesterday while trading at Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closed higher.

NATORE CLASH
Clashes in Natore began at noon when 14-party activists fired shots at a group of armed cadres of BNP and its student front JCD, who had attempted to attack a 14-party rally at Chhayabani Cinema intersection, according to police and eyewitnesses.

As Natore JCD President Dewan Shahin and some of his followers were hit by bullets, a large group of JCD activists retaliated by firing gunshots at 14-party men, sparking a fierce gun battle.

Natore BNP General Secretary Shahidul Islam Bachchu was shot and his office at the old bus stand was damaged.

The clash further intensified when the groups traded gunshots from a close distance several times in front of police who played the role of mere spectators during the clash that spilled over to three other points Chhayabani Cinema, Hemangini Bridge and Fire Brigade.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) reached the scene three hours later and brought the situation under control by clubbing the rival political activists, said witnesses.

The blockaders torched four motorcycles belonging to BNP activists and damaged the local office of Janata Bank during the clash.

According to police, both groups traded nearly 400 shots while police fired 10 tear gas canisters and 60 bullets to disperse the clashing political activists.

Bullet-hit JCD activists Matin and Afroz were rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital with critical wounds in the head, chest and abdomen and they were in the operation theatre till filing of this report at 7:00pm.

Bullet-hit police sub-inspectors Subir Dutt and Rezaul Karim were admitted to Police Lines Hospital.

Others who were injured are Lalpur Upazila AL general Secretary Ishaq Ali, Chhatni UP chairman Tofazzal Hossain, a UP member Mozir, and 14-party activists Milon, Abu Taher, Nur Hossain, Omar, Sohel, Reza, Opir and Ujjal.

THE CAPITAL
Bangabandhu Avenue and Zero Point areas were rocking with life yesterday as demonstrators reigned over the streets the whole day, marching on the roads, chanting slogans and holding rallies to enforce the blockade.

Folk singers were singing parodies criticising the CEC calling him ’shameless’ and accusing the president and chief adviser to the caretaker government of being partisan while the most popular slogan was “Aizza, Barit Ja” (Aziz, go away).

Meanwhile, the tension that had arisen in the city since JCD and Islami Chhatra Shibir’s (ICS) announcement of their intention to resist 14-party at Muktangan area today, was not there as the activists of the two student fronts of two major parties of four-party alliance who had taken position at Muktangan on Sunday, left the place at 2:00am yesterday.

Police sealed off the area, letting no political party hold any programme there yesterday.

Blockaders vandalised a microbus, requisitioned for carrying police personnel, near Mirpur-10 roundabout and five other buses on Rokeya Sarani at Senpara. They also tried to set fire to those around 11:30am, but police dispersed them.

Gabtoli Bus Terminal remained lazy all day with no bus leaving or arriving.

Rickshaws, CNG-run three-wheelers and human-haulers were only vehicles seen on the city streets as buses were kept off the streets fearing vandalism by the blockaders who disconnected Dhaka from the rest part of the country.

Crowding at the bus stops, rickshaw-pullers, and drivers of three-wheelers and human haulers made brisk money as they charged multiplied fares banking on the severe shortage of transports.

THE COUNTRY
In Sirajganj, at least 12 people were injured when police baton-charged activists of JCD and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) during a clash between them that erupted when they came face to face with processions at PTI intersection in Sirajganj town yesterday. Police brought the situation under control after two hours.

A queue about 3km long, of goods laden trucks bound for capital, on the highway was created when demonstrators blockaded the highway at different points.

In Bagerhat, AL activists enforcing the blockade came under attack by BNP activists at Kashempur Bazar, 8km off the town, at 11:00am. As the rivals got locked in a clash involving brickbats, sticks and sharp weapons, 12 from both sides were injured.

Port city Chittagong remained cut off from the rest of the country during the blockade that passed off peacefully for the most part.

Only loading and unloading of cargoes inside the port took place. Neither any truck nor any other transport with cargoes found a space for delivery beyond the jetty areas. Inter-district transports also stayed off the road but movement of other vehicles was quite normal on all city roads and thoroughfares.

Although vehicular movement was seriously disrupted, launch service remained normal in Khulna and there was a huge rush at the launch terminals.