Strikers vandalise vehicles, attack police in Rajshahi

The countrywide shutdown called by the BNP and its allies has been marked by sporadic incidents of violence with police in Rajshahi fighting pickets.

Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked police and went on the rampage during Monday’s strike. They also hurled bombs on the police.

Pro-shutdown activists vandalised auto-rickshaws in Rail gate, Darikharna and Hosneganj intersections. They also burst a bomb in Rail gate area.

Boalia Police Station OC Khandker Nur Hossain said the car of assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police was vandalised in Shalbagan area at around 9:30am.

The pickets emerged suddenly from a lane beside a petrol pump, hurled brickbats and disappeared, the OC said.

The Shibir activists also demonstrated at the Fire Service intersection. They poured petrol on the street and lit it around 11:30am, he said.

Later they took out a march. Police clashed with the Shibir activists when they hurled brickbats at the police car after it.

The Shibir activists also hurled a bomb, prompting police to fire rubber bullets to disperse the Shibir activists.

Assistant Director of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Rajshahi Mirza Golam Sarwar said they arrested two youths and recovered seven petrol bombs in Mizaner Morh area in the early hours of the shutdown.

Earlier, RAB also recovered a one-shooter gun and nine sharp weapons from Meherchandi area.

At Barandra Museum intersection, BNP activists hurled brickbats at police.

The lawmen detained 34 Jamaat and Shibir activists from several areas on Sunday night, Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi City police’s Detective Branch Iftekhar Alam said.

Local BNP leaders and activists took out a procession from Kadirganj intersection.

Police dispersed a procession of Jamaat activists in Court Station area.