Activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir on Sunday went on the rampage hurling bombs, torching vehicles and fighting pitched battles with law enforcers at different places across the country that left over 200 people, including, police men, injured.
Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised and set ablaze over 100 vehicles across the country and blocked roads and highways while the police detained over 300 protesters.
The violence erupted across the country following
the arrest of Chhatra Shibir central president Delwar Hussain Sayedee.
Jamaat-Shibir activists also attacked and clashed with police earlier on the day at different places when they marched in processions in protest against the killing of five ‘opposition activists’ in Chapainawabganj and Sirajganj in ‘police firing’.
Shortly after the arrest of Chhatra Shibir president, its activists took out violent processions in different areas of the capital.
The Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised dozens of vehicles and hurled crude bombs at different parts of the capital, including Badda, Matuail, Mirpur, Jatrabari, Dhanmondi and Bangla Motor.
Jatrabari police arrested seven Jamaat-Shibir men from Mirhazaribagh after they brought out a procession at about 8:00am.
At Shahjadpur in Badda, suspected Shibir men set fire to a BRTC double-decker at about 7:00pm. None was injured. Several crude bombs were exploded in the area. Later several other vehicles were damaged in Badda.
At Matuail, miscreants torched a bus of Bandhan Paribahan at about 7:20pm in front of Punam cinema, said the Jatrabari police adding that fire engines put out the flames.
Two more buses were set on fire at the same place later.
Jamaat-Shibir men also vandalised seven or eight vehicles and hurled crude bombs at Dhanmondi road 27.
New Age correspondents from different districts reported that Jamaat-Shibir men went on rampage in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Comilla, Feni, Moulvibazar, Naogaon, Bogra and Lalmonirhat.
In Naogaon, Shibir men vandalised about 50 vehicles in the evening.
The Shibir men brandishing sticks and iron rods attacked public property.
Traffic was suspended on Naogaon-Bogra highway.
New Age Rajshahi correspondent said Jamaat-Shibir men had engaged in violent clashes twice with law enforcers in the northern city that left over 50 people, including police men, injured. Both hands of a police officer were blown off at the wrists in a bomb attack.
At least 20 people, including two police men, were injured in violent clashes between Shibir activists and law enforcers at the Bata crossing in Ranibazar of the city on Sunday morning.
Witnesses said the clashes had erupted after the police halted a Shibir procession.
The Shibir men hurled bombs and stones at the police who fired rubber bullets, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse them. The fighting left 17 people, including two police men, injured.
Both hands of trainee sub-inspector Makbul Hossain, 31, were blown off at the wrists while constable Rafiqul Islam, 25, was grievously injured in the bomb attack. They were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Some witnesses, however, said that Mokbul Hossain was holding a sound grenade that exploded during the clashes blowing off his hands at the wrists.
But police said that Mokbul’s hands were blown off by bombs hurled by Shibir men.
Boalia police officer-in-charge Ziaur Rahman Zia told New Age that the police had detained 10 Shibir activists on the spot.
Jamaat-Shibir men launched fresh waves of attacks on the police in the afternoon after the arrest of the Shibir president. At least 10 people were injured in the clashes.
New Age correspondent in Chittagong said that Shibir activists in the evening had rampaged through city protesting at the arrest.
They marched in possessions and vandalised at least 15 vehicles and a number of shops at Bahadderhat and Badurtala.
They also brought out a procession at Barabkunda in Sitakunda, blocking Chittagong-Dhaka highway for 25 minutes.
In Cox’s Bazar, the Shibir activists brought out sudden processions and vandalised about 10 vehicles in the evening.
In Maulavibazar, the police dispersed demonstrations of Shibir activists.
In Dinajpur, the Shibir brought out a procession in Birganj upazila town and put blockades on the Dhaka-Thakurgaon highway. Police could not reach the spot till 7:30pm.
The report from Laxmipur said that Shibir activists had vandalised vehicles at Ramgati station and Roypura upazila town.
At least 10 people were injured during the violence.
They also put blockade on the Dhaka-Laxmipur highway, halting traffic.
In Noakhali, Shibir men attacked and damaged five vehicles, including the official car of additional police superintendent Zakir Hasan. They also vandalised 10 shops.
Our Bogra correspondent said police had arrested three Jamaat-Shibir leaders, including Jamaat’s city unit secretary Majedur Rahman Jewel. Protesting at the arrest of Jewel and Shibir’s central president, they took out processions and torched a Dhaka-bound bus and vandalised a truck.
Police detained Jamaat activist Harun-or-Rashid when he was torching the bus.
Our Mymensingh correspondent said police had detained at least five Jamaat-Shibir men, including Jamaat’s city unit secretary Kamrul Ahsan Imrul and Shibir’s city unit president Anwar Hossain Sujan.
Jhenaidah correspondent said Jamaat-Shibir activists had blocked Jhenaidah-Kushtia highway felling about 100 trees near Bejpara bus stand under Kaliganj upazila on Sunday night.
The correspondent in Sylhet reported that violence had erupted in Sylhet after an attack by the ruling party activists on the properties of Jamaat-Shibir men.
The ruling Awami League-backed youth and volunteer oganisations set fire to three houses of Jamaat leaders in Sylhet city on Sunday after a group of Shibir men attacked a ruling party activist and burnt his motorcycle.
At least four people, including two children, were injured in the ruling party-sponsored attack on the houses of Jamaat city acting amir Sayef Ahmed, nayeb-e-amir Abdul Hai Harun and party activist Abu Saleh Musa, also vice-principal of Jameya Islamia Shah Paran Madrassah, at Peer Mahalla in the city. (
Source)
