Another AL man killed by 'Jamaat'
A local Awami League leader was stabbed to death allegedly by Jamaat-Shibir men in Kaliganj upazila of Satkhira while law enforcers were conducting a joint drive in the same upazila yesterday, the first day of the BNP-led opposition's 72-hour nationwide blockade.
The victim, Moslemuddin Ali, 65, was president of the AL's Bishnapur union unit. Nine other ruling party leaders and activists were killed in political violence in the district over the last 27 days.
Meanwhile, police recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two BNP men in Sadar upazila of Laxmipur yesterday morning.
A Jamaat activist, who suffered bullet wounds during Sunday's clash between Jamaat men and law enforcers in Joypurhat, died at a private hospital in the capital early yesterday.
Unlike the previous blockades, there was not much violence yesterday except for some stray incidents of crude bomb explosions and vandalism in some districts.
People had a brief respite of four days from the opposition's blockade since November 26. The fresh blockade dealt a further blow to almost all sectors, and common people, especially daily earners.
In the capital, blockaders blasted four crude bombs in front of the deputy commissioner's office in Old Dhaka around 3:00pm. Police picked up a lawyer from the spot on suspicion of having links with the blasts.
Opposition activists exploded several crude bombs while marching in procession from the Jatiya Press Club to Dainik Bangla intersection between 7:00pm and 7:30pm. They also vandalised two vehicles, said Abdul Jalil, inspector (investigation) of Shahbagh Police Station.
In Satkhira, a joint team of law enforcers went to Bishnupur union to remove the barricades put up by blockaders on Kaliganj-Baliadanga road around 12:00noon.
Local AL leader Moslemuddin Ali, also president of Manobadhikar Bastobayan Sangstha in Kaliganj upazila, accompanied the team.
As the law enforcers started for nearby Krishnanagar village for conducting a drive, Moslemuddin parted with them around 2:00pm.
He along with local AL activist Hossain Ali headed for their homes in Chachaigram by a motorbike, said Ali Azam, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station.
When they reached Choumohoni in the upazila, Jamaat-Shibir men intercepted them and swooped on the two with sharp weapons, leaving Moslemuddin dead and Hossain seriously injured, he said.
Sheikh Ohiduzzaman, president of Kaliganj upazila AL unit, alleged that Jamaat-Shibir men killed Moslemuddin in a planned way.
He expressed surprise at the attack on the two AL men while a drive by law enforcers was going on nearby.
Kaliganj Jamaat unit Ameer Moslem Uddin, however, refuted the allegation, and said the local AL leader might have been killed because of an intra-party feud.
In the meantime, law enforcers arrested 17 leaders and activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in several drives at Tala, Assassuni and Kaliganj in the district.
In Laxmipur, police recovered the bodies of BNP activists Abdul Mannan, 32, of Uttar Jamiltoli, and Zahirul Islam, 30, of Chatkhil upazila in Noakhali, from the banks of a canal at Battoli around 7:00am.
Mannan and Zahirul were accused in a number of cases filed with Sadar Police Station, said Iqbal Hossain, OC of the police station.
Ismail Hossain, brother of Mannan, claimed that his brother and several others had been missing since Rab personnel launched a crackdown on opposition activists in the upazila on Sunday.
Locals saw the two bullet-riddled bodies on the banks of a canal near the Palli Bidyut office yesterday and informed police, he added.
During Sunday's drive, Asaduzzaman Babul, BNP joint secretary general of Dighulia union unit, and his supporter Khorshed Alam Sumon were killed in a “shootout”.
Mainuddin Reaz, president of BNP Sadar upazila unit, claimed that both the victims were active members of the party.
Meanwhile, Jamaat activist Abdur Rahman, 45, who had been injured in a gunfight between his party men and law enforcers at Puranpoil in Joypurhat, died from wounds in a private hospital in the capital.
Shamsul Alam, assistant secretary general of Jamaat's Joypurhat district unit, said Rahman, also ex-UP member of Poranpoil union, was buried in his village home of Tulat after an autopsy.
Rail communication remained suspended for 18 hours in Lalmonirhat, as blockaders removed fishplates from railway tracks on Lalmonirhat-Burimari route on Monday night. Train service resumed at 2:55pm yesterday.
In Jamalpur, opposition men also removed four decking plates from a bailey bridge over the Jhenai river, halting road communication between the district headquarters and Madarganj upazila for three hours from 5:00am.
A group of 10 Shibir activists hacked a Chhatra League leader while he was chatting with his friends at a tea stall about 2:00pm in Sylhet city.
Injured Saikat Chandra Rimi, president of Sylhet Polytechnic Institute BCL unit, was whisked off to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College hospital, said police.
In Joypurhat, Jamaat-Shibir men beat up an AL leader, leaving him critically injured, said police.
Wounded Hafizur Rahman Happy, member of Joypurhat district AL committee, was taken to Joypurhat Modern Hospital.
Blockaders vandalised two covered-vans and exploded crude bombs on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Mahipal in Feni. Four people were injured as police opened fire to disperse the blockaders.
Law enforcers arrested 15 leaders and activists of the Jamaat and the BNP in Pabna, Netrakona, Jhalakathi and Narayanganj.
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