Terror unleashed
At least 33 people, including four policemen, were killed and scores were injured in a spasm of violence yesterday in parts of the country after Jamaat-Shibir activists clashed with law enforcers to protest a death penalty to Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir claimed that 20 of the dead were their members. The violence also left a college teacher and two Jubo League activists dead.
After the verdict that handed a death penalty to Sayedee, the angry protesters attacked a police outpost in Gaibandha killing three policemen on the spot and knifed to death a police constable in Chittagong -- the deadliest day since the first verdict was delivered on January 21.
In scenes that bring to mind the Liberation War rampage in 1971, the attackers set fire to a temple and houses of the Hindu community in Noakhali.
Even before the verdict was delivered, Jamaat-Shibir men were out on the streets to enforce a daylong shutdown to strike fears into the hearts of people, who expressed solidarity with the Shahbagh movement calling for capital punishment to war criminals.
In Dhaka, an unknown group unleashed a reign of terror by exploding a series of bombs in the residential neighbourhood of Mirpur-1.
A bomb hurled by the attackers exploded on a 35-year-old rickshaw-van driver at 8:00pm. He later bled to death.
GAIBANDHA
Soon after announcement of the verdict, hundreds of Jamaat-Shibir men put barricades on the roads and attacked a police outpost at Banondanga railway station in Sunderganj upazila.
They beat up policemen with lethal weapons, killing three police constables -- Hazarat Ali, Najimuddin and Bablu Mia -- on the spot.
Three of their colleagues were rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
The police retaliated with gunshots to disperse the attackers as they tried to set fire to the outpost by pouring petrol.
Three attackers were shot dead at this stage.
One of them was identified as Anej, 35, a vegetable vendor, but identities of the other two could not be known immediately.
Three other bullet-hit people were rushed to Sundeganj Health Complex.
The mob later set fire to Banondanga rail station, uprooted rail tracks and put barricades on roads besides vandalising several shops.
THAKURGAON
Four were killed in the rampage inflicted by Jamaat-Shibir men in the district yesterday.
About 1,500 Jamaat-Shibir men marched in streets from Goreya Bazar in Sadar upazila and attacked 10-15 shops and 10-12 houses of Awami League men and the Hindu community.
Members of police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rushed there and fired blank shots and tear shells to disperse the attackers.
Encircling the law enforcers, the marauding Jamaat-Shibir men started to throw brickbats and closed in to fight the law enforcers.
At this stage, the law enforcers opened fire to save themselves, leaving one Firoz, 24, dead on the spot and injuring about 10 others.
Rubel, a 13-year-old Shibir supporter, was found dead by bullet inside a shop later.
Locals rushed one Munir Uddin, 20, and Nironjon, 25, of Goreya village to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where doctors declared them dead, said Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Thakurgaon police.
RANGPUR
Five were killed and 100 including 22 law enforcers hurt in clashes between the Jamaat-Shibir men and police in Mithapukur and Pirgachha upazilas.
The deceased are Shibir activists Moshiur Rahman, 25, Shahed Mian, 45, an unidentified person, Mahmudul Hasan, 20, and Ashikur Rahman, 23.
Jamaat-Shibir activists hurled brick chips at police when the latter appeared at Mithapukur Bazar around 2:45pm and asked them to lift a barricade from the road.
Besides charging baton, the police opened fire to disperse the protesters, leaving three people dead and 65 hurt.
In Peergachha, 41 people, including 21 policemen, were injured in a similar clash near the railway station. Of them, a sub-inspector of police and five Jamaat-Shibir men received bullets.
SATKHIRA
A Jamaat procession tried to enter Satkhira town when police and BGB men intercepted them. As they tried to proceed with force, the law enforcers fired rubber bullets and charged baton.
At one stage of the clash, Jamaat activists Tuhin and Saiful and Jubo League worker Shahin died receiving bullets and 100, including two BGB personnel, were injured.
The Jamaat men also attacked Mamun, a newly appointed teacher of Satkhira City College, and set fire to his house. He died at Satkhira Sadar Hospital while undergoing treatment.
CHITTAGONG
Jamaat-Shibir men brought out a procession in Lohagara upazila in the afternoon and police tried to intercept it.
The police opened fire, killing Shibir man Mesbah Uddin, 26, on the spot.
The Jamaat-Shibir men later attacked the police with lethal weapons, hacking to death constable M Tareque Hossain.
NATORE
Around 200 Jamaat-Shibir men swooped on the house of a Jubo League leader in Kadamchilan under Lalpur upazila and chopped him to death on the spot.
Matiyar Rahman, OC of Lalpur police, identified the victim as Khairul Bashar, 27, joint secretary of Kadamchilan Union Parishad unit of Jubo League.
They Jamaat-Shibir men also torched a police-van, injuring five policemen.
DINAJPUR
Nearly 5,000 Jamaat-Shibir activists set fire to four roadside shops at Ranirbandar under Chirirbandar upazila to protest against the verdict.
Police and BGB men tried to disperse the attackers and came under attacks.
The BGB men opened fire, leaving fruit trader Foiz Uddin 25, of Nasratpur village dead and injuring two.
Local Shibir have claimed the dead to be their activist.
In another clash at Doshmile in Sadar upazila, 30 were injured when Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with law enforcers.
CHAPAINAWABGANJ
The Jamaat-Shibir men damaged vehicles at Shibtala in the town in the afternoon.
As police backed by anti-hartal activists tried to resist them, the attackers swooped on them with sticks, brick chips and hand-made bombs.
The police opened fire on the attackers, injuring three including Nasir Uddin, 23, a student of Nawabganj Alia Madrasa.
MOULVIBAZAR
Jamaat-Shibir men protested against the verdict at Borolekha Bazar and police tried to disperse them, triggering a clash around 5:30pm.
Bullet-hit, one Lokman Hossain, 22, died on the spot.
Faysal Ahmed, general secretary of upazila unit of Jamaat, claimed the deceased to be a Shibir worker.
COX'S BAZAR
A madrasa student was killed in a gunfight between Shibir and police in Pekua upazila.
The clash erupted around 3:00pm when Jamaat activists opened fire on the law enforcers to protest against the verdict.
SIRAJGANJ
Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised a van of Rab patrol team at Chandidaspur in Sadar upazila at 12:30pm.
Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the attackers, who retaliated with sticks and brick chips.
The clash continued for nearly 30 minutes. Mokhter Hossain, 19, a Shibir activist, was bullet hit and died on the spot. Eleven were also injured including one Ruhul Amin, 18, of Chandidaspur. Ruhul succumbed to his injuries at Sirajganj Sadar Hospital.
Jamaat called a half-day shutdown in the district to protest against the death.
NOAKHALI
Jamaat-Shibir activists clashed with law enforcers as the latter tried to dissuade them from vandalism in different parts of the district.
Liton, 28, a fish trader, were bullet-hit and died on the spot.
Md Khokon, 17, a tempo employee who received a bullet, was pronounced dead when rushed to Noakhali Medical College Hospital at 4:00pm.
RAJSHAHI
A Shibir activist was killed in a clash between Jamaat-Shibir and law enforcers in Bagha upazila.
The deceased was identified as Amirul Islam.
Around 500 Jamaat-Shibir men attacked law enforcers at Binodpur Bazar, leaving two policemen including Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Abul Hasnat injured.
At least 50 cocktails were exploded during the attack.
The law enforcers fired hundreds of gunshots and teargas canisters to bring the situation under control.
At 8:30pm, a bomb blast in front of Rajshahi city AL office injured 11 party men.
BOGRA
A picketer was killed in a clash between protesters and police at Sujabad under Shajahanpur upazila at 6:00pm.
The dead was identified as Based Ali, 40, son of Monu Mia of Sujabad Dohopara village.
Strings of violence by Jamaat-Shibir men were reported from elsewhere in the country. But no-one was reported to have been killed in those incidents as of 11:00 last night.
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Terror unleashed
