7 die as blockade continues

Six persons, including a mother and her 12- year old son died on the ninth day of BNP called nationwide blockade at different places of the country Wednesday. The mother and her son were among four people burnt to death when the bus, guarded by police and BGB, carrying them was set ablaze by hurling petrol bomb at Mithapukur, Rangpur in the early hours of Wednesday. Twenty other passengers travelling in the bus suffered burn injuries. One of them succumbed to the injury at Dhaka Medical College burn unit at about 11:15pm. Among the two others, one each in Chittagong and Feni, was a Juba League activist who died at Feni in clashes with pickets. At Lohagara, Chittagong, Shibrir activist died under the wheels of a running bus while picketing. Meanwhile, BNP scaled down the 24-hour hartal from this morning to a 12- hour shut down in protest at the attack on BNP chairperson’s advisor Reaz Rahman.

The bus, set ablaze on Rangpur-Dhaka highway at Batason-Durgapur under Mithapukur upazilla, was on its way to Dhaka from Kurigram. Police identified three dead as Rahima Begum, 65, her son Rahim Badsha, 12 and Jesmin Akhter, 35. Seven passengers with serious burn injuries were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital and later three of them were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital at Rangpur. RMCH burn unit physician Abdur Razzak, told New Age Rangpur correspondent that the seven passengers suffered burns allover their bodies. Of the seven, Tasiron Begum, 60, and MInara, 23, were referred to Dhaka Medcial College Hospital burn unit. As they reached the burn unit at about 11:15pm, burn unit doctor Salauddin declared Tasiron dead. Police said they arrested 15 activists of Jamaat and Shibir in drives from different areas in the upazila after the incident. Passengers said that the bus of Khalil Paribhan had halted at Batason topick up more passengers when unidentified elements hurled a petrol bomb torching leaving four passengers charred on spot. They said that only those who could leave the packed bus braking window panes survived. BGB officials said they intensified vigilance after the incident. Rangpur police superintendent Abdur Razzak said that miscreants took the opportunity as the bus had stopped to pick up more passengers.

The Officer in Charge of Mithapukur police, Rabiul Islam said, the bodies of victims had been sent to RMCH morgue for post mortem. He said that security was tightened in the upazilla. At Gazipur a truck driver and his helper suffered burn injuries when pickets hurled petrol bomb at the bobbin laden truck on Dhaka Bypass Road at Bhogra’s Morolganj. The driver Misti Mia, 45, is undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s burn unit and his helper at Tangail Sadar Hospital. A woman suffered injuries at Bogra when petrol bomb was hurled at the bus carrying and other passengers from Gaibandha on way to Dhaka. In the capital, at least five vehicles, including a microbus, were set on fire at different places. Fire Service and Civil Defence control room sources said a bus of ‘Bandhan Paribahan’ was set afire near Gulistan Cinema hall near Ahad police box at around 1:00pm. Two people were injured when miscreants blasted crude bombs at Badda in the evening. Crude bombs were also hurled elsewhere in the city also. The city witnessed heavy traffic movement on the day creating tailbacks on major roads. Large contingents of police guarded the streets. Vandalism and setting vehicles on fire were reported the outlying districts. Eight vehicles were damaged in Lakshmipur, six in Pabna, five in Sylhet and 10 in Feni. A truck and a covered van were torched in Sitakunda, Chittagong, A BRTC bus was torched in Barisal and trucks were torched in Nator, Rajshahi and Borga. Awami League office in Munshiganj was set on fire. More than 200 activists of BNP and its allies were arrested, 31 of them in Chittagong, 57 in Pabna, 27 in Comilla and the others elsewhere. At least 22 people lost lives since the blockade began a day after the government prevented BNP and its allies from holding a scheduled rally in the capital on January 5, to mark it as democracy killing day.

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