Constable wounded in Rajshahi bomb attack dies

One of the nine police constables wounded in a bomb attack by Opposition supporters on the vehicle they were riding in Rajshahi has died.

OC of Rajshahi’s Boalia Police Station Ziaur Rahman Zia told bdnews24.com that Siddhartha Sarker breathed his last around 9:30pm on Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.

Siddhartha’s wife Dipti Sarker is also a Constable with Rajshahi Metropolitan Police. Siddhartha was the son of Bimal Sarker of Kaunia Upazila in the district.

The bomb attack had taken place around 12pm at Rajshahi’s Rajahata Loknath School intersection within half an hour after a Jamaat-e-Islami leader made a threat from an agitation rally of the 18-Party alliance.

Prior to that attack, metropolitan Jamaat unit’s Assistant Secretary Mainul Islam threatened police at the rally at the city’s Bhubon Monhon Park by daring the law enforcers to face them after taking their uniforms off.

He said, “Police will be resisted if the 'march for democracy is obstructed.”

The Jamaat leader also threatened that there would be ‘mass explosions at intersections’ if leaders and activists of the Opposition coalition were arrested.

According to witnesses, Opposition activists were returning after taking out a procession when a handmade bomb was hurled at the police truck parked nearby.

The bomb exploded at the back of the truck and left nine police constables injured, OC Ziaur Rahman Zia said adding that the Opposition supporters had fled the scene right away.

Siddhartha was sent to Dhaka CMH as his condition deteriorated.

The others injured, constables Ananda, Touhid, Shahriar, Majid, Raihan, Rafi, Sohel and Asad were undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital. Of them, conditions of Ananda and Touhid were critical, said Zia.

Constable Alamgir, who was also in the truck, said two trucks of police led by Assistant Commissioner Saiful Islam were on patrol. Ten including the AC were on the first truck and 14 other policemen were on the second.

“Leaders and activists of the 18-Party alliance were returning from their procession. They hurled a powerful handmade bomb at our vehicle at Rajahata Loknath School intersection when both trucks were on way to Maloparha.”

”The bomb exploded inside the truck after it hit the bulletproof jacket Siddhartha was wearing. But I was saved as I was behind my colleagues on the back of the truck,” Alamgir said.

Police detained four people from the scene right after the bomb attack. They had also detained 29 suspected Opposition activists earlier in the day in Rajshahi City before the rally over suspicion that acts of sabotage could be carried out from their procession and rally.

Legal measures would be taken against them after questioning, OC Zia said.

Constable Siddhartha Sarker who died in the bomb attack in Rajshahi

Rajshahi City saw a wave of violence, especially directed at police, recently during the alliance’s general strikes and nationwide blockades. Explosions caused by Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir activists blew both the wrists off a policeman on Mar 31.

Another police official was severely injured on Apr 1 after he had his head smashed with a helmet and bricks by Jamaat supporters who also snatched away his weapon.

A police vehicle was torched on Dec 2 at the city’s Court Station intersection. A policeman received bullet injuries during clashes.

Opposition activists also attacked police on Dec 10 at Binodpur Bazar near Rajshahi University and broke the leg of Motihar Police Station OC Abdul Majid.

Five other policemen were also injured in that attack.