Chittagong city residents feel insecure in the dark

Chittagong is a bustling city during daytime but fear spreads as night falls with residents anticipating violence that has been part of a transport blockade and shutdowns enforced by the BNP-led alliance.

Subrata Dhar Mithu, a resident of the city’s Chandgaon area, told bdnews24.com, “When evening sets in, we feel terrorised.

“We feel frightened to move around after dark due to the blasts, firebombing and arson attacks on vehicles.”  

Most residents scurry around through the day to finish their daily work so that they can move into the safety of their homes by evening. But that is not always possible. 

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Afrina Nazneen, a housewife from the port city’s Kushumbagh area, said, “We feel anxious every time we step out, fearing untoward incidents.

“The fear increases after dark. Someone or the other of the family has to step out after sunset for some reason. We keep worrying until they return.”

Chittagong Metropolitan Police’s Commissioner Jalil Mandal told bdnews24.com, “Terrorists chose to strike mainly between 7pm and 10pm.”

Assistant Commissioner Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf told bdnews24.com: “In the dark, criminals can emerge from small roads and alleys and carry out sudden attacks that are not possible during the day.

“It is also difficult for the police to catch them as the miscreants find it easy to escape through those routes in the dark.”

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On Feb 2, blockaders exploded a number of firebombs on a bus, setting it alight, and blasted crude hand-made bombs at the city’s Bahaddarhat intersection. A bus was also set alight at the EPZ intersection. 

Police fired back in the Bahaddarhat incident but could not detain or arrest anyone. 

‘Ridwan’, 50, was waiting for a bus at the C&B intersection on Feb 25 when blockaders blasted crude bombs there. He died on the spot. 

‘Idris’ was another ill-fated victim, who died five days after being burnt when the auto-rickshaw he was on got firebombed at Shahmirpur area of Karnaphuli on Feb 11. 

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Several others have been burnt and injured in various blasts and firebombing around the port city since BNP chief Khaleda Zia called for the continuous blockade on Jan 5.

Police and RAB have announced rewards for information on ‘anarchists’.  

Law enforcers have recovered a large number of weapons, ammunition and bombs from around the city in various raids.

They have also detained ‘anarchists’. A group of bomb-makers, who sold them to blockade supporters, were also arrested.  

Mohammad Sakib, a member of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, was critically injured on Jan 20 when a crude bomb went off in his hand during an attempt to create trouble at the city’s Kadamtali area. He died in a private hospital in Dhaka a week later.  

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The CMP chief added that much of the violence was being perpetrated by people hired by the BNP and its allies for Tk700-800 to do their dirty work and not by the 20-party leaders or activists.

He added that there was no substitute for mass awareness in fighting such acts of violence. “We are daily consulting the residents of various city areas. We have also offered bounties.”

“Next week, we will form committees consisting of general people in various areas to guard against violence.”